Jackie Brown (2005, DVD)

***In Memory of Eddie "Mr. Blue" Bunker (1933-2005)***

After the overwhelming success of 1994's Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino was becoming the new king of not just independent cinema but cinema itself. With his stylized and realistic approach to violence, witty dialogue, and charming characters, Tarantino was the director everyone wanted to be. Tarantino also gained something that most of his fellow directors didn't get was celebrity as he started to appear in cameos for films and TV shows while being part of the A-list. Unfortunately, that popularity did put a stigma into independent films as Tarantino began to be surrounded by imitators who were ripping off his style. Some of those films were good and others weren't yet they were overshadowing several films independent cinema.

With new directors wanting to be the next Tarantino, it was at the time a pretty strange time for independent American cinema where some thought the movement that Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Kevin Smith, and Hal Hartley were a part of was going to sink like Alternative Rock did in the mid-late 90s. Tarantino chose to escape his celebrity by doing other projects including directing an episode for the TV show ER and being part of the Miramax-produced anthology film Four Rooms with Alison Anders, Alexander Rockwell, and Robert Rodriguez in which many felt Tarantino's segment was the best. Tarantino's friendship with Rodriguez led the two to collaborate in From Dusk Til' Dawn, a vampire flick that Tarantino scribed and starred in with Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, Salma Hayek, Cheech Marin, and George Clooney that Rodriguez directed.

Around this time, novelist Elmore Leonard was becoming one of the more popular crime writers as Tarantino told his Pulp Fiction star John Travolta to do Get Shorty, based on a Leonard novel that continued Travolta's winning streak. Tarantino was also fascinated by Leonard's work, notably the novel Rum Punch about a stewardess who is caught in the middle of an embezzlement scam ran by her friend while a bail bondsman falls for her. Tarantino chose to adapt the novel into a script but in his own way by grabbing to his love and fascination for 1970s Blaxploitation films that he re-titled Jackie Brown and Tarantino chose an icon of that era for the leading role in Pam Grier.

Jackie Brown is about a stewardess who is also a part-time drug smuggler as one day, she is caught. Her friend asks a bails bondsman to bail her out as the man falls for Jackie Brown. Meanwhile, Jackie is under the eye of a couple of ATF agents as they're hoping to catch a smuggler and his bank robber friend. Written for the screen and directed by Tarantino, Jackie Brown represents a change of pace from the idiosyncratic style of his directorial work in Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction in more with the traditional structure of his screenplay of True Romance. Unlike those stories, Jackie Brown is Tarantino's most straightforward and restrained script to date. Also starring Tarantino regular Samuel L. Jackson, Robert de Niro, Bridget Fonda, Chris Tucker, Michael Keaton, and Robert Forrester. Jackie Brown is Quentin Tarantino's wonderful homage to 1970s Blaxploitation films.

For an arms dealer named Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson), dealing arms is a profitable business as he is chilling at the home of one of his women, Melanie (Bridget Fonda) and Ordell's former crime partner Louis (Robert de Niro) who just got out of prison a few days ago serving a four-year prison sentence for armed robbery. Watching a video on guns, Ordell talks about the weapons he have while he gets calls where one of his associates Beaumont (Chris Tucker) had been arrested for weapons and drug possession. Ordell goes to a local Californian bondsman in Max Cherry (Robert Forrester) to go over the bail of Beaumont. Beaumont is free but is expected to serve some time as Ordell sends him along for a business meeting with Koreans.

Meanwhile, Ordell's friend and associate Jackie Brown has been arrested by a couple of ATF agents including Ray Nicolette (Michael Keaton). During an interrogation, Ray's partner Dargas (Michael Bowen) finds a bag of narcotics where a judge (Sid Haig) places her in prison with a bond of $10,000 for her bail. Ordell decides to use the bond money for bail with Max picking up Jackie. On the night Max picks up Jackie, he is smitten by her as the two went to a bar to drink for a conversation where later, Ordell meets up with Jackie who is angry over her brief prison stay and the drugs that were in the bag. Ordell knew that Jackie is loyal as they make a deal about a plan to get $500,000 out from Mexico so Ordell can retire from the business.

The next morning, Max meets Jackie at her apartment as she had borrowed his gun for protection. Ordell and Jackie talk about age while Jackie makes a deal with Ray about Ordell's plans. Ray wants to nab Ordell since he wants to pin for some illegal arms deals and murders. Jackie and Ordell meet about the plan as Jackie wants a cut of his deal while Louis is with Melanie as the two talk about a plan to get Ordell's money for themselves. Max becomes the only person Jackie trusts as he wants out of the bonds business over an incident that almost got fatal. They plan to use a mall for the money drop and exchange.

After a disastrous trial run that involved two of Ordell's women, Ordell and Jackie plan to do the whole exchange again and get it right. Jackie eats dinner with Ray about the exchange and plans while she goes to Max to be involved as well. Jackie then flies to Mexico, hides the money plus an extra $50,000 as marked bills for Ordell and goes to the mall for the exchange. Everything works except that Ordell suspects a huge screw-up involved with Melanie and Louis as he decides to go after Max and Jackie.

While the film, in comparison to other Tarantino scripts and films, Jackie Brown does lack a bit of the pop culture references that always pop up in the dialogue or in a frame. Tarantino gets away from that for something that is more character-driven and it's his most mature work to date. The writing structure Tarantino goes for is more traditional except for the heist scene where it's done in three different perspectives. While Tarantino is often considered a great filmmaker in his unique approach to the crime film genre. It is so easy to forget that he's a writer first. In the way he adapted Leonard's novel into a subdued crime drama, Tarantino goes more for motivation and choices in his scripts where the characters all have something to offer.

Even the subplot involving characters, notably the attraction of Max and Jackie works and it's an example of Tarantino working in a format of romance which he succeeds. The script doesn't even lose itself in its pacing or its intentions since it's a part-character study story but also a wonderful crime story with a bit of romance and comedy. While there is the use of the "N" word throughout the script and film, it's not that harmful since it's said through characters. The "N" word was used by Blaxploitation writers for years and Tarantino is basically wearing a mask to pretend that he's a black writer. Tarantino is just being earnest in not just to those iconic characters he loved but to the genre itself.

In the directing front, Tarantino uses his tricks of steadicams, dolly tracks, and wonderful camera angles. Yet those tricks still work, even in the way Tarantino wanted to have an authenticity to the film. The film looks like it was made in the 70s from its opening credits and scene while it gives the movie a sense of style with some substance. One of the best scenes that Tarantino directed that included long shots is the money exchange sequence where its done in three different perspective that all doesn't lose it pace nor does it confuse its audience. This is directing in its smartest form which is why Tarantino is one of the talented filmmakers in American Independent Cinema.

Helping Tarantino capturing the authenticity is cinematographer Guillermo Navarro who uses natural, grainy colors to give the film a 70s look, notably in the interior sequences of bars and taverns that has that classic 1970s feel. Navarro and Tarantino manages to capture a look that is distinct and nostalgic. Tarantino's longtime production designer David Wasco and his art team of art director Dan Bradford and set designer Sandy Reynolds-Wasco help give the film that authentic look for its apartments and homes of the characters that is filled with wonderful props to 70s soul music and vinyl while capturing the natural quality of the taverns. Even costume designer Mary Claire Hannan help give the film a wonderful look in the costumes, especially the clothes of Pam Grier who makes sure she looks good. Tarantino's longtime editor Sally Menke gives the film a nicely, leisurely pace and feel to her editing style where at about 155-minutes, the film doesn't feel slow or too fast. Even the film sounds great from sound designer Mark Ulano who helps creates the tension of sound for the film.

Then there's the film's music which is filled with wonderful soul classics plus a bit of hip-hop, rock, and country music. Many of the film's 70s soul classics comes from the likes of Bobby Womack, the Delfonics, Brothers Johnson, Pam Grier, Bill Withers, the Meters, and also Jermaine Jackson, the Supremes, the Grassroots, Foxy Brown, Roy Ayers, and the late Johnny Cash. Tarantino's use of music is often in tune with the characters, including a scene where Jackie plays a Delfonics cut in which Max falls in love with it becomes his theme. It's one of the best pieces and utilization of a song for a character and his development.

Finally, there's the film's amazing cast with some memorable small performances and cameos from Aimee Graham as mall clerk, Hattie Winston and Lisa Gay Hamilton as Ordell's women, Sid Haig as a judge, Tom "Tiny" Lister Jr. as one of Max's bondsman, and Michael Bowen in a memorable performance as Nicolette's partner Dargas. Chris Tucker is funny in a small but memorable role as one of Ordell's boys who gets busted as he has a great moment arguing with Jackson about getting to a dirty trunk of his car. Michael Keaton is wonderfully subdued as the intelligent and earnest Ray Nicolette with his desire to capture Ordell and help Jackie where he becomes an unlikely ally in a masterful performance.

Bridget Fonda is wonderful and sexy as the stoned beach bunny Melanie who might seem like a stoner looking for a good time on the surface but Fonda gives her depth as a woman who knows what's going on while in the exchange sequence, seems more professional than anyone thinks. Robert de Niro gives a quiet and humorous performance as Louis who likes to do nothing but get stoned and watch TV while on a crime spree, he is paranoid and reckless. Though it's de Niro doing comedy, his restraint and recklessness gives the film some nice humor.

Samuel L. Jackson gives another great performance as the charming but vicious Ordell Robbie with his cool demeanor and witty approach to business. Jackson gives the character a lot of likeable qualities as well as intimidating ones. He's a businessman and a charmer but when you cross him, you know you're in trouble as Jackson gives a great performance. The best male performance of the film belongs to Robert Forrester as the good-hearted Max Cherry. Forrester brings a wise yet cautious performance of a man doing the right thing in every way or form, even if it involves crime. Forrester has wonderful moments with Jackson but it's with Pam Grier, Forrester is in top form as he and Grier carry great chemistry as Forrester plays a reluctant love interest with a lot of heart who is smitten by Grier. It's without a doubt one of the best performances that year.

Pam Grier gives her most brilliant performance to date that just doesn't remind everyone of her iconic status but a woman who still got the chops as an actress. This is Grier in classic form as she proves herself to be both tough and charismatic. She carries the dialogue with a sense of wit and ease while proving that she's still a foxy lady. Grier has great scenes with Jackson and Keaton but her best moments is with Forrester as she gives a character that isn't a bad woman but one who will do anything to make money and do what is right for her.

When Jackie Brown came out in late 1997, the film got great reviews though some complained about its length, the lack of intense violence and pop culture references, and the excessive use of the "N" word. With a budget of $12 million, the film did recoup its money but didn t meet the kind of expectations in comparison to the mega-hit Pulp Fiction was. Despite a Best Actor award for Samuel L. Jackson at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival plus Golden Globe nods for Jackson and Pam Grier, and an Oscar nomination for Robert Forrester in the Supporting category. Jackie Brown was clearly forgotten as Tarantino went into hiding for several years. While Grier and Forrester didn't achieve the comeback level that John Travolta had with Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown did revive their careers as Forrester continues to work on TV and film while Grier has become a star in the acclaimed Showtime series The L Word.

While it may not be as entertaining as Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown is still a wonderful crime drama from Quentin Tarantino thanks to a great cast led by Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, and Robert Forrester. Fans of Blaxploitation films will love the approach that Tarantino gave along with its homage feel while Tarantino fans will like the idea of how he matured as a director and screenwriter. Though he returned with a more violent film with Kill Bill in 2003 and 2004, Tarantino proves his talents here by exploring new territories in Jackie Brown.

Quentin Tarantino Reviews:

Reservoir Dogs (1992):

http://www.epinions.com/content_146698702468

True Romance (1993):

(Coming Soon)

Natural Born Killers (Director's Cut) (1994/1996):

(Coming Soon)

Pulp Fiction (1994):

http://www.epinions.com/content_147562860164

From Dusk Til' Dawn (1996):

http://www.epinions.com/content_116924714628

Kill Bill (Vol 1 & 2) (2003/2004):

(Coming Soon)

Grindhouse (2007):

http://www.epinions.com/content_345840062084

Inglorious Bastards (2009):

(Coming Soon)