Today’s quick review: Pulp Fiction. Jules Pitt (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta) are a pair of enforcers working for crime boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). A miracle leaves Jules contemplating a more righteous path, while Vincent is asked to take care of Marsellus’s wife Mia (Uma Thurman) for the night while Marsellus is out of town. Meanwhile, Butch (Bruce Willis), an aging boxer who Marsellus has hired to take a fall, enacts a daring plan for his retirement.
Pulp Fiction is a stylized crime drama from Quentin Tarantino. The movie consists of three interlocking stories told in non-chronological order. The first segment focuses on Vincent and his night out with Mia, the second on Butch and his plan, and the third on Jules and his perceived miracle. No story goes exactly as planned, with plot twists that send them careening in different directions.
The unusual format can make the movie hard to follow at first, but paying close enough attention shows that Pulp Fiction is very well crafted. The vignettes fit together like a puzzle, with themes and events that intersect in unexpected ways. While the movie lacks a single overarching plot, it makes up for the absence through unpredictability and style.
The film’s dialogue is packed with Tarantino’s unique musings on the world, from the ethics of foot massages to the nature of awkward pauses in conversation. Although the characters are not entirely likable, their dialogue and mannerisms make them oddly compelling. Interesting scenes, intelligent camera work, and iconic moments arguably make the film Quentin Tarantino’s best work.
Watch Pulp Fiction if you are in the mood for an odd, stylish crime drama with an excellent cast and Quentin Tarantino’s signature style. Between occasional violence, mature themes, and a penchant for the shocking and unexpected, Pulp Fiction is not for the sensitive. But those who are on board with the mature content will find Pulp Fiction to be an incredibly competent film that is well worth the watch.
8.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.5 for stylish presentation, excellent craftsmanship, and a number of iconic moments.