Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Rated R for strong language, some violence, drug use and sexuality

Starring: Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster

Jackie Brown is often said to be director Quentin Tarantino’s most mature film due to the film not having Tarantino’s trademarks. The film doesn’t have a nonlinear story line, pop culture heavy dialogue, or even strong, bloody violence. But without those signature trademarks, Jackie Brown is an essential Tarantino film and continues to be one of his best films.

Jackie Brown stars Pam Grier, as the titular character, as an airline stewardess who is caught smuggling drugs and money over the border. In an effort to not get jail time, she works with two ATF agents (played by Michael Keaton and Michael Bowen), but at the same time works with her boss (played by Samuel L. Jackson) in a complicated double cross scheme.

What works best in Jackie Brown is the strong performances given by the A list cast. Pam Grier plays a tired stewardess who is trying to one up the people she is supposed to be working with. Her facial expressions in various scenes show how Jackie is feeling in that scene. In one of my favorite scenes, Jackie is in a dressing room and quietly stares at herself in the mirror before doing a money exchange. That scene is short and very brief, but its brilliant as we can tell what Jackie is thinking and feeling by just one look at herself in the mirror.

In addition to Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, who often collaborates with Tarantino, does an excellent job. He plays a villainous role, a type of role that Jackson doesn’t play too much. He’s terrifying and funny at the same time as the role of Ordell who is just trying to get his money from Mexico. One of Ordell’s friend is Louis (played by Robert De Niro), an ex convict who is quiet and dimwitted. It was a pleasure to see De Niro in a supporting role as a character he almost never plays. It is certainly a breath of fresh air to see De Niro take on a different character that does bring out a chuckle out of me, whether it is intentional or accidental. Finally Robert Forester plays Max Cherry, a bail bondsman who helps Jackie in her complicated scheme. The late actor brilliantly plays a character who is tired of being a bail bondsman and is trying to find something new in his life. I suspect that Cherry would normally not go along with this type of scheme, but would do it for Brown, who he secretly has a thing for.

In re watching Jackie Brown, it is shocking how fast paced the film goes, considering it is more than two and a half hours long. The film never gets dull or slow, this is due to its writer Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino is a writer known for writing dialogue and he certainly delivers with Jackie Brown. He also delivers a strong soundtrack to accompany the film. Tarantino is also known for perfectly placing fine music in his films and this one has the likes of The Delfonics, Johnny Cash, and The Supremes. With musical acts like those placed in your film, it is no wonder the film smoothly flows without any scenes dragging.

Watching Jackie Brown made me rethink the film as a whole. Many fans of Tarantino would normally rank this film low on their list because its not an iconic Tarantino film like Pulp Fiction or Inglorious Basterds is. But Jackie Brown is certainly one of Tarantino’s finest works and certainly deserves to be ranked high in the Tarantino filmography.

4/4