A quieter, less violent narrative from Tarantino than his usual offerings, Jackie Brown is a sassy caper as a flight attendant finds herself an informer against a local arms dealer.
An older woman with a criminal past, Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) smuggles cash from Mexico into the US for Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson). But the ATF and a team led by Ray Nicolette (Michael Keaton) have him in their sights – and pick up Brown with $50,000 in her bag. With Robbie paying bail, Brown faces jail time – unless she turns state evidence. The arms dealer looks to cover his bases – with bail bonder Max Cherry (Robert Forster) and Brown suspecting she may be in danger. To protect herself, she plots a sting with Cherry that’ll put her out of harms way.
Tarantino draws out the unfolding of the story, throwing in a soulful ’70s soundtrack along with extra characters to add action and humour (including a convincingly vulnerable Robert De Niro as Robbie’s not-so-bright, recently released henchman) but there’s a level of poignancy and vulnerability not normally associated with the director.
Robert Forster – nominated for best supporting actor Oscar in 1998
Rating: 74%
Director: Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill I & II)
Writer: Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill I & II) – based on a novel by Elmore Leonard
Main cast: Pam Grier (Foxy Brown, Larry Crowne), Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, The Banker), Robert Forster (The Descendants, Mulholland Drive)
An Opinion or Two 