“So this is actually the last one we’re gonna see from Quentin Tarantino for a little while. I actually tried getting it in on Fri, but TDKR took a lot outta me both because staying up for the midnight had me running on little sleep and the emotional toll from the related events. Anyways, Jackie Brown.
This is prolly my least favorite Tarantino movie. But given how much I adore his movies, that’s kinda like saying this is my least favorite kind of chocolate. There are no bad chocolates. But that wasn’t always the case. The movie had to grow on me a bit.
When I was first discovering Quentin Tarantino, I could not get enough of his movies. Well, technically, I still can’t get enough. But I was determined to see them all. So that year, I put Jackie Brown on my Christmas wish list, and watched in on my once traditional Christmas day new movie marathon. The problem was, my understanding of Tarantino back then wasn’t entirely accurate. Since Kill Bill was my first introduction, I was hung up on the stylized violence. I hadn’t yet learned to appreciate the quick dialogue or the gritty storylines. I basically ended up watching just waiting for action that never really came, and I walked away disappointed. Fast foward a few years and some DIY movie education, and I thoroughly enjoy this one now. I still rank it below his others, but it’s good.
A few things make Jackie Brown stand out from the rest of the Tarantino ouvre. For one, all his previous movies are pretty guy-centric. Except for Mia Wallace and Honey Bunny, you really haven’t seen many girls in his movies (at least the written AND directed ones). This is the first time our “”hero”” is a chick. And Pam Grier’s Jackie is just as cunning and bad ass as any of the boys.
This film also feels more realistic than his previously penned pictures. Personally, I prefer the more over the top, faster and smoother talking than anyone in real life, blood and guns waving all over the place. I do like that this one feels gritty and dirty. The stakes may in fact be higher in his other films, but they feel more intense here. Just watching the big con at the end, even though I know how it plays out, I still feel my heart racing.
Speaking of that big set up, I \m/ love how it plays out. I’m not talking about the specifics (though those are well done), but the way that you see the events play out several times from different perspectives. You see Jackie do her thing up close, then Melanie watching Jackie, etc. That’s one of my favorite film techniques.”