Today’s quick review: Jackie Brown. Caught smuggling cash into the US, Jackie Brown (Pam Grier), a middle-aged stewardess, cuts a deal with law enforcement to help them catch Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson), her gun-dealing boss. Jackie approaches Ordell with a plan to smuggle half a million dollars of his money into the country. But with a little help from her bail bondsman Max Cherry (Rob Forster), Jackie makes her own plans for the money.
Jackie Brown is a crime drama from writer and director Quentin Tarantino. Jackie Brown features a strong plot, a talented cast, and Tarantino’s typically solid craftsmanship. Pam Grier makes for a sympathetic lead in Jackie, a resourceful woman who threads her way through a tricky situation. The film is slow-paced, but it never feels padded and the story builds up to a suitably intricate finale.
Jackie Brown offers a better story and a better cast than most crime movies. The cast includes half a dozen significant characters, each one with his or her own plan for the money. Their schemes and treachery make the story satisfyingly unpredictable, and no one character has the full picture of what’s going on. The characters are not as engrossing as Tarantino’s best, but their flaws are balanced and they work well within the story.
Jackie Brown shows off less of Tarantino’s style than his other works. Most of his trademarks are present, from the film’s earthy, rambling dialogue to its large, expendable cast, but Jackie Brown comes across as much more grounded than Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds, or Pulp Fiction. The dark, surreal humor and nonchronological storytelling of Tarantino’s other films are largely absent.
The result is a well-executed crime movie with a complicated plot and a dash of Tarantino style. Fans of the crime genre who aren’t into Tarantino will find Jackie Brown more palatable than his other films, while Tarantino fans will find it comparatively sedate. For a more stylized, more iconic Tarantino crime movie, check out Pulp Fiction. For a crime comedy with a similarly elaborate plot, check out Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.
7.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for strong writing and direction.