Jackie Brown is a lesser-known Quentin Tarantino film starring Samuel L Jackson, Robert De Niro, Michael Keaton and Pam Grier, amongst many other stars. The acting was superb, Jackson was definitely the right choice for Ordell, a man who, even though is not the title character, has the whole film revolve around him. Jackie Brown is an air hostess who regularly helps smuggle money Ordell's money over to him, but is caught in the act. She ends up putting her life in the line as she gets involved in a game of deception between the police and Ordell, which makes for interesting viewing. It's a smart film, with well established characters and a great plot. However, it's over 150 minutes long, which I think ended up being too long for this kind of film, and at points it is very slow-paced. A lot of the time, it didn't feel like a Tarantino film, because there was not as much dark comedy as I had anticipated. It did, of course, include Tarantino's signature trunk shot.
One reason I did enjoy it though, was that it focused on a woman's independence, she could clearly stand up for herself against all the male characters, and knew what and what not to do. My favourite scene in the film has to be the money exchange in a shop fitting room, because it's replayed in each character's perspective, and it builds up until we have a clear idea of what is happening.
I wouldn't recommend this for everyone. Many would compare it to Pulp Fiction or Kill Bill, but if I'm honest, I think it has a completely different feel to it. It's not a masterpiece, but it's definitely a well produced film, with some scenes standing out from the rest.
