Jackie Brown (2005, DVD)

Superb DVD package for a film that gets better with repeated viewings. More will appreciate with time like they have done with films like Scorcese's King of Comedy, Altman's Long Goodbye and Soderbergh's Out of Sight.

Quentin Tarantino graduated Junior High School with Reservoir Dogs; a cool as a cucumber macho riff on low budget Hong Kong action films infused with homages to pop kitsch. He graduated High School with PULP FICTION a hip, show-offy homage that took viewers on a wild gimmicky ride infused with a celebration of pop culture and bad taste. Then, he graduated college with JACKIE BROWN, a funky, smart, character driven homage to Elmore Leonard, blaxploitation, and getting your second wind. I enjoyed the hell out of PULP FICTION. It's incredible energy and enthusiasm was infectious; its characters, dialogue and time shifting fresh and in your face ballsy. PULP however was a film that was wired on too much caffeine, it was too eager to be right in your face and spit in your eye. When given a choice it went for louder, harsher, faster, rather than subtle. Tarantino didn't quite trust his instincts, so he blasted out at the audience over-powering them with energy and take no prisoners attitude.

JACKIE BROWN simmers and smolders, rather than boiling over and making a huge mess in the process. Tarantino is confident and purposefully lets the film breathe, making it a little longer than it has to be, letting several of the characters have a little more time. He knows how to write dialogue and how to cast his film with the best actors to say that dialogue. He's given himself some boundaries in this film because he's adapting Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch and respects the novel. His off the wall idea to change the lead character from a Blonde Goddess to a tough middle aged black woman is one that allows him to cast Pam Grier in the lead role.

And Quentin understands exactly what Grier's strengths are and uses every single one of them to seemingly build a film around. He has taken the Elmore Leonard's novel and made the chemistry of its characters work in a slightly different but just as effective manner as it did in the novel. He's simplified the novel's structure slightly, and streamlined some of the novels more intricate details. Character relationships are not explained with the depth of the novel-but that's to be expected when any novel is turned into a film. What's surprising is how the feel and attitude of the novel is honored Even as a few elements of blaxploitation are careful laid into the movie.

There are three great films that have been made from Elmore Leonard books. OUT OF SIGHT, GET SHORTY and JACKIE BROWN. Out of Sight was a better movie than it was a book thanks to director Stephen Soderbergh, a smart script and great casting. GET SHORTY made the novel's characters more charismatic and likeable than the book and played up its humor;--almost too much; it also boasted inspired casting. JACKIE BROWN honors one of Leonard's best novels, RUM PUNCH by creating a masterful variation that winds up being pretty faithful to the book in tone, attitude, character development and plot without strictly adhering to its mechanics.

Jackie Brown is a middle aged experienced flight attendant working for one of the worst airlines in the industry. She supplements her income by smuggling money into the U.S. for Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson) an ex-bank robber turned black market gun dealer. Jackie is accosted by a local police detective and an ATF agent (Michael Bowen and Michael Keaton) who find money and a stash of cocaine in Jackie's carry on luggage. They want her to snitch on Ordell Robbie or they will throw the book at her and try to put her in jail for a dozen years. Jackie is really in a corner because if she cooperates Ordell will kill her and if she stalls for a little time it could jeopardize her job-a lousy job but one she needs desperately. Jackie comes up with a plan, which will give the authorities Ordell, keep herself out of prison and possibly give her a huge pay-day !!! To pull this off she needs the help of a middle aged bail bondsman named Max Cherry (Robert Forster). As the plan is put into action there are unforeseen complications.

All of this unfolds in a leisurely paced manner. We get to know three of the characters and what they are capable of (Ordell, Max Cherry and Jackie Brown). Ordell is looking to keep his gun dealing operation operating even though one of his associates (Chris Tucker) might have talked too much to the authorities. One of his girlfriends (Bridgette Fonda) is a conniving, 30-something, surfer chick, who lives to laze around and smoke dope. Ordell's ego is stroked by having a blonde, WHITE surfer chick as a mistress. She's bored with Ordell however and looking for a new cheap thrill.

Also in the picture is one of Ordell's ex-prison cell mates (Robert DeNiro) a bank robber, who has just gotten out of jail after serving four years. He's at least a two-time loser who is trying to get used to being out of jail and how the world has rapidly changed while he was incarcerated. One of the joys of watching this movie more than once is in appreciating the subtlety of DeNiro's performance which fills in his seemingly quiet supporting role superbly. His character stays in the background except in one pivotal scene, and though he's on screen quite a bit, he's not trying to call attention to himself when he's not the center of the scene.

It's a credit to Tarantino that the authenticity Leonard gives his characters in the novel is kept intact. They aren't made more likeable or appealing to a wider audience. In fact changing the white blonde Jackie Burke of the novel to the black middle aged Jackie Brown in the movie probably appealed to less of the movie demographic familiar with Quentin's previous work. As I mentioned the change doesn't feel like a gimmick and remains utterly faithful to the spirit of the novel and Elmore Leonard.

Tarantino has a real appreciation for actors who are not cut from the leading man or leading lady molds. He also pays attention to actors who have fallen through cracks and haven't been utilized as much as they should because they haven't made a successful movie for several years--he certainly brought Travolta back from b movie purgatory with Pulp Fiction. Robert Forster made a huge splash with Medium Cool and was in TVs Banyon and the cult movie hit, Alligator. Prior to Jackie Brown however for nearly 15 years he made movies that were barely released theatrically and failed to make an impression on video renters. He was still working, still doing good work, but few who mattered noticed. Tarantino nearly cast Forster in Reservoir Dogs (just as he nearly cast Pam Grier in a supporting role in Pulp Fiction) and when he saw Forster again he knew he was perfect for the role of Max Cherry the 50 year old bail bondsman.

Forster's performance is nearly perfect. He inhabits the world weary, slightly bored Max Cherry as one does a favorite pair of old slippers. Max suddenly snaps out of being numb and stuck in a routine when he meets Jackie Brown-but he's got so much life experience, the re-awakening is tempered with real life realities. Max Cherry is an interesting character but Forster makes it a four dimensional one you won't soon forget.

Samuel L. Jackson is Ordell, the films most colorful character. He's selfish, egotistical and without morals. The fact that Jackson still gets us to enjoy this guy on some level is a remarkable accomplishment. The character is that of a familiar opportunistic hustler who might have been turned into a more sympathetic character by another actor and director. Not here. This guy is a snake. By keeping Ordell authentic and not trying to pedal him to the audience as something he is not, Jackson and Tarantino allow us to appreciate the character on his own terms. He's a bad guy and he does bad things, but we have understanding of why he is the way he is. We aren't totally unsympathetic to the problems he has. We also hope he gets his comeuppance

Michael Keaton turns in another hyper almost overly energetic performance as the ATF agent Ray Nicolet. Keaton turns up as the same character (changed to an FBI agent) in a brief supporting role in OUT OF SIGHT. It works very well and Elmore Leonard fans are sure to be particularly appreciative of such things, since Leonard will often have characters from one book make little cameo appearance in other books (Some characters in Rum Punch made appearances for instance in his book, Switch). The characters usually don't even make a significant contribution to the other books they make brief appearances in, but it adds an air or authenticity to Leonard's world that characters have a life beyond the confines of the stories he writes. You might see one of them in a restaurant or a bar or ask one for the time on the street.

DVD QUALITY

Jackie Brown is presented in an anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen transfer not as the 2.35:1 the package states it is presented in. The film borrows some of its style and look from 70s exploitation films so it purposely shows a little more street grit than a totally pristine film might. There's grain visible in several scenes but it's part of the film and not a flaw of the presentation. However the print is not flawless in terms of the presence of some dirt and little glitches. None them make enough of an impact to ruin the film. Black levels are for the most part solid, though in some darker scenes the grain is more noticeable. The colors are very rich but never appear oversaturated.

The disc comes with both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 audio soundtracks, which are nearly identical in over-all quality and sound design. Some of the music and sound effects utilize the surround home theater capabilities but for the most part the film is dialogue driven and most of that dialogue is crystal clear and front and center where you would want it.

the DVD EXTRAS :

Disc one begins with a brief 50 second introduction from Quentin Tarantino and he apologizes for taking 5 years to get get Jackie Brown released on DVD but assures us he wanted it that way so audiences would appreciate the disc when it was finally released.

The major extra on disc one is an ENHANCED TRIVIA TRACK whish is similar to the ones you might have seen on the GHOSTBUSTER dvd in which various information is presented via subtitles throughout the film. You get lots of interesting information regarding the cast and crew of the film, the locations used, set design, props and even some plot points are pointed out and compared with those in Elmore Leonard's novel. There are quotes from Tarantino and others and more trivia than you probably ever expected. Some of the information is explained in the various documentaries and interviews on the film on Disc 2, but a lot of it is unique. It is does not go into great depth, but it covers every aspect of the production.

You can also go to all the songs that are used in the film by using the SOUNDTRACK CHAPTERS feature. The menu there provides information about the song as well.

Then there are the commercials for the new Pulp Fiction DVD and the Jackie Brown soundtrack CD.

Disc 2 offers a wealth of extras.

The 39 minute documentary JACKIE BROWN: HOW IT WENT DOWN is an informational promotional piece. It's not fluff, but there's nothing controversial and disparaging from any of the participants interviewed. That's okay, there's a lot of talk about comebacks and Robert Forster and Pam Grier who were still around but beneath a lot of people's radar, certainly were deserving of their comebacks and Jackie Brown provided a wonderful vehicle for that. Almost everyone talks about how much fun it was to make the film and how exciting it was to work with one another. Don't worry now, folks here gush over the actors Grier, Forster, DeNiro and Jackson much more than they do Tarantino. I really enjoyed hearing several sound bites from Elmore Leonard. There are also a few quick glimpses of behind the scenes footage, including a couple of deleted scenes. The documentary could have been longer-which means it doesn't wear out its welcome.


The 54 minute interview with Tarantino is called A Look Back at Jackie Brown. Tarantino praises his actors and surprisingly comes across almost humble for a great deal of the interview. He's also fairly subdued throughout the interview and seems to be having fun telling stories about making Jackie Brown. The best part of the long interview is when he is comparing Jackie Brown to Pulp Fiction and when he talks about his near obsession with Pam Grier blaxploitation films. Tarantino is much more mellow than usual and comes across as a fairly likeable fellow-and even though I admire his talent, I thought I would have to get through this interview in 5 or 10 minute sessions. The interviewer rarely asks anything approaching a difficult or in depth question and often Quentin will answer the question and then talk about three or four other things that he wasn't even asked about. You'll probably be worn out trying to keep up with how Tarantino jumps from subject to subject with a lot of energy and enthusiasm but doesn't actually say much that is new or insightful. I was nonetheless surprised at how almost relaxed and subdued (for him) he came across.

Be sure you watch the CHICKS WITH GUNS VIDEO extra through to the end (the end of it is 'fun'). In the film we see a few clips from this fictional promotional, gun show hype meets MTV video. Here you see the nearly 5 minute foe-promotional video in all its glory.

You can watch all of the deleted and alternate features with the PLAY ALL feature. They are introduced by Tarantino. The entire group of scenes runs under 16 minutes. There's a very funny alternate opening scene with Pam Grier that was obviously shot as a joke, but it's funny. There's also an alternate take of Keaton and Grier improvising the dialogue in their scene. Grier catches Keaton off guard with a line and cracks him up. There are a couple of other interesting scenes to watch. I wish there were more included.

Next is a clip from the Siskell & Ebert "At the Movies - Jackie Brown which is their favorable review from the show in 1997. Roger Ebert does most of the talking, explaining and criticizing with the late Gene Siskell mainly just nodding in agreement and adding a couple of short positive comments about the film.

"Jackie Brown on MTV," contains a commercial for a Jackie Brown contest being run on the network at the time of the film's release and a longsegment from MTV Live (with Carson Daly) featuring Tarantino, Bridget Fonda, and Pam Grier. The LIVE Segment is utter promotional fluff but towards the end of the segment everyone finally relaxes and you can believe they had as much fun making the movie as they insist theydid.

You can play all three theatrical trailers and all eight TV spots all at once or individually.

The extensive Still GALLERIES are divided into sections: Jackie Brown Posters, Production Stills, Behind the Scenes Stills, Location Scouting, Production Design Sketches, Memorabilia, Posters from Pam Grier Movies,Posters From Robert Forster Movies, and Soundtrack Covers From Pam Grier Movies.

Reviews & Articles, features 18 print articles that include 10 reviews of Jackie Brown and 8 articles about Tarantino and Jackie Brown.


You also get complete filmographies for Quentin Tarantino, Robert Forster and Pam Grier.

MY FAVE EXTRA !!!!

Ah but that's not all. Perhaps my favorite extra on the disc are the generous, but not complete (damn it) collection of trailers. Not just any trailers, but trailers from most Pam Griers early career of Women in Prison and Blaxploitation films and Robert Forsters mostly exploitation film career as well.

The Robert Forster trailers include: Reflections In A Golden Eye, Justine, Stalking Moon, Medium Cool, The Don Is Dead, Avalanche, The Black Hole, Alligator (teaser), Vigilante, Walking The Edge, Hollywood Harry, and Night Vision.

The Pam Grier trailers included: The Big Doll House, Women In Cages, The Big Bird Cage, Black Mama, White Mama, Hit Man, Twilight People (teaser), Twilight People (trailer), Coffy (teaser), Coffy (trailer), Scream Blacula, Scream!, The Arena, Foxy Brown (teaser), Foxy Brown (trailer), Bucktown, Friday Foster, Sheba, Baby, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Above The Law, and Original Gangsters.

You also get radio spots for Pam Grier movies including Coffy, Black Mama, White Mama, Bucktown, Friday Foster, Sheba, Baby, Scream Blacula, Scream!, and Foxy Brown / Truck Turner (Double Bill).

There's a booklet with the DVD that contains reproductions of letters from Elmore Leonard and Peter Bogdanovich, a review by Kevin Thomas, filmographies for Tarantino, Grier, and Forster, a soundtrack listing. My DVD also included a fold-out post for Jackie Brown done in the style of Grier's blaxploitation movies from the 70s.


There are several ROM extras which include a triva game called Stash the Cash which you play as you watch the movie. There is an ENHANCED PLAYBACK TRACK which allows you to click on various hot buttons and when you do so the film will pause and you can read about each photo you have clicked on. You can read the screenplay and see the movie (in a tiny window) at the same times. You also get links to the Jackie Brown and Miramax websites.


FINAL WORD:

Jackie Brown boasts superb charismatic performances from its actors, clever well-written dialogue that is Both clever and profane. Surprisingly the film offers some quieter subtler moments too. Tarantino does not offer enough of a consistent visual style and seems content to often film dialogue scenes in a series of single shots and cut-a-ways that rob the audience of being as voyeuristic as they might like to be. Not seeing enough wider shots during conversations makes the film a little colder than it should be but then Tarantino still believes detached and cool is hip. When we get to the big scene and finally feel like a privileged voyeur watching from three different vantage points, it feels more gimmicky than it should be because there is nothing leading up to this stylish conceit. That's being a real nit-picker though because the performances more than compensate for the films weaknesses. It's a superb adaptation of one of Elmore Leonard's best books: Rum Punch.

JACKIE BROWN isn't as good as Out of Sight, a minor masterpiece, or The Long Goodbye a certified masterpiece, but it's still a gem that's worthy of repeated viewings and worth owning. The DVD extras represent both the worthwhile and the ridiculous and if you needed additional prodding beyond the film, there's plenty to sway you within the second DVD disc. Good supplemental material worth several viewings include: the Pam Grier trailers, Chicks with Guns video and the Robert Forster trailers. The alternate deleted scenes are even worth a second and third look and you won't find me saying that very often.

4 1/2 stars rounded up.

Christopher J. Jarmick, is the author of the critically acclaimed steamy suspense thriller, The Glass Cocoon with Serena F. Holder. Published articles of interests see:
Cult Cuts Magazine, PoetsWest Literary Magazine, South District Journal, Senses of Cinema, The Brutarian, Mid-West Book Review, and others.

Original portions of this review Copyright Christopher J. Jarmick 2002/2003.