Jackie Brown (1997) Dir: Quentin Tarantino
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Out of the 9 films directed by the legendary Quentin Tarantino, this is, perhaps, the least spoken about. I'm honestly not entirely sure why this isn't as popular as his other classics.
For starters, there's the usual quality of Tarantino screenwriting - his ability to tell you what you need to know, as well as what could've been boring exposition, while his character's discuss seemingly nothing important is all but unmatched.
The narrative is pretty strong too, it all flows pretty nicely and each subplot feeds into the overarching story arc well. You can really feel the Tarantino style coming through - especially in the dialogue. Additionally, the soundtrack is phenomenal, as you can expect from a Tarantino film.
Pam Grier is the star of the film, and puts in a great performance. Her character; Jackie Brown, is a really strong protagonist and that is only emphasised by Grier's quick wit and delivery.
There is no better director and actor duo than Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson. Whenever they work together, magic happens, and the same can be said here. Jackson is always so good at delivering Tarantino's lines.
Robert Forster also has a substantial role, and provides a quieter but very solid performance.
One of the key supporting roles comes from the legendary Robert De Niro, who played his part to near perfection - his character felt very real, which is always a good sign.
Bridget Fonda also supports, in a performance that might not be as strong as the others I've mentioned already, but is still pretty good all the same.
Michael Keaton is another supporting cast member, and manages to give a decent account of himself in a relatively small role.
Finally, I'll mention some actors who had pretty minor roles, but I felt were worth the mention regardless; Michael Bowen, the popular Chris Tucker and Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr.
Overall, it's genuinely hard to understand why this one isn't as well renowned as some of Tarantino's other films. Maybe the comparisons to Reservior Dogs and Pulp Fiction left it feeling a little disappointing at the time of release, I don't know.
At 2 hour 34 minutes, it is a pretty long watch, but it's worth it for the well constructed story and very solidly performed characters. This film should really be talked about far more than it unfortunately is.
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