Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD EAN: 9780788830532 Format: Anamorphic ISBN: 0788830538 Label: Miramax Entertainment Manufacturer: Miramax Entertainment Number Of Items: 2 Publisher: Miramax Entertainment Region Code: 1 Release Date: 2002-08-20 Running Time: 154 Studio: Miramax Entertainment Theatrical Release Date: 1997-12-25
The curiosity of Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown is Robert Forster's worldly wise bail bondsman Max Cherry, the most alive character in this adaptation of Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch. The Academy Awards saw it the same way, giving Forster the film's only nomination. The film is more "rum" than "punch" and will certainly disappoint those who are looking for Tarantino's trademark style. This movie is a slow, decaffeinated story of six characters glued to a half million dollars brought illegally into the country. The money belongs to Ordell (Samuel L. Jackson), a gunrunner just bright enough to control his universe and do his own dirty work. His just-paroled friend--a loose term with Ordell--Louis (Robert De Niro) is just taking up space and could be interested in the money. However, his loyalties are in question between his old partner and Ordell's doped-up girl (Bridget Fonda). Certainly Fed Ray Nicolette (Michael Keaton) wants to arrest Ordell with the illegal money. The key is the title character, a late-40s-ish flight attendant (Pam Grier) who can pull her own weight and soon has both sides believing she's working for them. The end result is rarely in doubt, and what is left is two hours of Tarantino's expert dialogue as he moves his characters around town.
Tarantino changed the race of Jackie and Ordell, a move that means little except that it allows Tarantino to heap on black culture and language, something he has a gift and passion for. He said this film is for an older audience although the language and drug use may put them off. The film is not a salute to Grier's blaxploitation films beyond the musical score. Unexpectedly the most fascinating scenes are between Grier and Forster: two neo-stars glowing in the limelight of their first major Hollywood film after decades of work. --Doug Thomas
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Classic Tarantino Comment: 'Jackie Brown' has suffered from the case of being an amazing film that's less amazing than the other amazing works of the director, in this case Quentin Tarantino. Because of this it's amazingly underrated but by no means is a weak film. The film revolves around the story of flight attendant Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) who works out a scheme with a bailbondsman (Robert Forster) to swindle a massive cash smuggle from under the nose of both the DEA and drug/gun runner Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson in yet another amazing Tarantino flick performance) for whom the money was for. It doesn't have the tension, rush, or paranoia of 'Pulp Fiction' or 'Reservoir Dogs' but those two set the standard so high that it's really not all that surprising that 'Jackie Brown' is essentially forgotten about. Bridget Fonda, Robert DeNiro, Chris Tucker, and Michael Keaton all have standout minor roles as well. Highly recommended. Customer Rating: Summary: One Cool Movie packed with great features Comment: This DVD is great! Not only does it contain a great movie but the special features are some of the most in depth and informative I have ever seen. We all already know what a gifted writer/director QT is and I think that this is one of his best works (next to Pulp Fiction of course) and that it has quickly become a worthy cult classic. Customer Rating: Summary: Jackie Brown Comment: I bought this for my son last year and he said that it is a really good movie!! Customer Rating: Summary: Smooth & thrilling Comment: I'll start with the soundtrack. Some movies are very much influenced and remembered for the soundtrack. Such examples of that would certainly be `Jaws' & `Psycho'. Background music is important, or lack there of, as is the case in the 2007 hit `No Country For Old Men', and so we tend to pay attention to it. In the case of Jackie Brown, the influence of the 70's musical touch creates a setting that compels us to maintain our focus, more so than with your run-of-the-mill movie. The music hooks us from the opening credits and never stops.
The acting in Jackie Brown is fantastic. There isn't a character in this movie that you don't believe or buy into. Samuel Jackson stunned me with his powerful performance and Robert De Niro has mastered the bit of a dim-witted, always high, ex-con. Together they dominate the screen with their plans to become successful gun dealers during the 80's.
What Quentin Tarantino does better than any other director, is he assembles a cast of actors who are able to portray characters which force the audience to both love and hate them at the same time. It doesn't matter whether the character is supposed to be good or evil, at some point during the movie; you're going to think of that character as both or either. You'll find yourself getting disgusted with the character and then laughing at or with them, sometimes in the same scene.
Perhaps the greatest aspect of Tarantino's movies is that of the dialogue. Sure his movies are graphic and filled with more twists than a gun barrel, but what makes them click, and none better than Jackie Brown, is the dialogue. The characters give it to you hard and fast and you believe them. While Pulp Fiction & the Kill Bill movies gained the most recognition, Jackie Brown is his sleeper masterpiece that puts them all to shame when it comes to the script. If there was an academy award category for dialogue - Jackie Brown would be a runaway nominee.
Jackie Brown is one of those movies that you don't need to put together, or try to figure out what is going on. That is a step away from what we have come to associate Tarantino with, but it works perfectly with Jackie Brown. We're allowed to simply sit back, watch, listen and enjoy a bunch of shady characters as they try to swindle and kill each other off - all in the name of the almighty dollar.
Jackie Brown is a thrilling ride and certainly one that you will enjoy watching more than once. Customer Rating: Summary: This is a gem Comment: I'm dumbfounded that there are negative reviews of this. I do not see how you could not like it. Maybe the negatives come from those who are looking for another "Pulp Fiction." I thought "Pulp Fiction" was one of the best things I had ever seen, but it will never be duplicated. In some ways, "Jackie Brown" is a better movie. PF was more about action and shocking weirdness, whereas in JB, you actually care about the two main characters, played by Pam Grier, who looks great, and Robert Forster, in the role of a lifetime. This movie has everything.
