Movie Rental Recommendations -- J
Jackie Brown
It's fun to see Pam Grier back on the big screen, and she's got a great role to play. But the stewardess smuggling money for an arms dealer plot takes far too long to tell. This two-and-a-half hour movie could have easily been done in 90 minutes, and it would have been much more memorable and entertaining. It drags out because director Quentin Tarantino included a few too many witty conversations where the actors trade quick, well-thought-out dialogue. Unfortunately, it doesn't work nearly as well as it did in "Pulp Fiction." He really should have made this an action flick, rather than a drama.
IMDb | Other Reviews Erik Nelson
Nothing can douse a filmmaker's creative spark and limit their options quite like a big fat hit. Knowing this, let's give writer/director Quentin Tarantino a lot of credit for not simply churning out "Pulp Fiction 2." That said, his new film (based on a novel by Elmore Leonard) is a little hard to go nuts over. What saves this slow-paced and, at times, narratively flabby film is Tarantino's obsessive love for the low-down crime genre and, above all, the incredible cast he's assembled. (Samuel L. Jackson and Robert De Niro do as fine of a job as you'd expect. But the real surprise here is forgotten 70s presence Robert Forster, who deserves a Travolta-size comeback.) Q.T. may be spinning his wheels overall, but there are moments throughout (including a split-screen effect that would make Brian De Palma wet himself) that are as good as anything he's ever done. I'm hopeful for his future.
Andrew Wright
Jawbreaker
How Rose McGowan acted her way out of a paper bag to star in this sad "Heather's" rip-off is beyond me. The plot revolves around a clique of the coolest girls in school, and their attempt to cover up their friends accidental death. Kidnapped by her friends as a birthday prank, Liz dies by choking on a jawbreaker. That is as far as the significance of the title goes. Where is Shannen Doherty when you need her? I feel bad for Rebecca Gayheart, the only actor who is actually capable of acting and showing emotion in this movie. You keep thinking there is going to be a twist that will make you want to find out what happens. Instead, you end up trying to spot Marylin Manson's cameo. The movie attempts to be dark and disturbing, but ends up seeming awkward and silly.
IMDb | Other Reviews
David Krough
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