Title: Jackie Brown
Starring: Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster
Synopsis: Quentin Tarantino’s adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s 1992 novel Rum Punch is his most nuanced and mature feature, placing more emphasis on dialogue and character development rather than wild action set pieces; perhaps that’s why it’s often forgotten about when discussing the great director’s work. Released in 1997, Jackie Brown follows the eponymous flight attendant (Pam Grier) after she is busted for smuggling drug money for a black market gun runner named Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson). The agents who catch her (Michael Keaton and Michael Bowen) offer her a deal if she helps them to bring Robbie down; Brown knows that if she does help them, however, Robbie will surely kill her. She therefore decides to double-cross both parties and escape with the money herself with the help of a smitten bondsman (Robert Forster).
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7HkBDNZV7s]
Jackie Brown is a direct homage to the ‘blaxploitation’ films of the 1970s (clearly evidenced by the casting of Pam Grier in the lead role as opposed to a white woman, who it originally was in the novel), and despite it not being an original screenplay and having a more complex plot Tarantino makes sure the film is still very much his through its brilliant dialogue, iconic song choices and effortlessly cool style. For anyone especially critical of him for being over-the-top and childish, this is a must-watch.
Watch if you liked: Death Proof, Pulp Fiction, Foxy Brown
Rating: 9/10 – Though slow in some places, Jackie Brown is not only a great entry in Tarantino’s filmography, it’s also just a damn great film.
Words by Samantha King