Jackie Brown ***** (1997, Pam Grier, Robert De Niro, Bridget Fonda, Samuel L Jackson, Robert Forster, Michael Keaton) – Classic Movie Review 366

Writer-director Quentin Tarantino returned for his third movie in 1997 with the ultra-tense, pounding and highly impressive low-life crime thriller Jackie Brown, written for the screen by Tarantino and securely based on Elmore Leonard’s novel Rum Punch.

It provides an eagerly grabbed, splendid showcase for a still fit, game and ready Pam Grier as airline stewardess Jackie Brown, caught in the crossfire between cops and arms-dealing robbers.

It is arguably the best of all the adaptations of Leonard’s work, getting the low-life atmosphere and air of casual violence and danger exactly right. The whole cast give excellent performances, with Pam Grier remarkable and Robert Forster also outstanding as bail bondsman Max Cherry, a character Tarantino created with Forster in mind.

Robert De Niro and Samuel L Jackson play Louis Gara and Ordell Robbie. Both they and Bridget Fonda and Michael Keaton also give notable performances. Some cast, eh? (Fonda’s character of Melanie Ralston is based on an actual actress, Candice Rialson.)

Incidentally, De Niro asked to play Max Cherry, but Tarantino wanted Forster as Cherry, so he offered Louis to De Niro.

An inspired Tarantino directs with imagination, style and committed enthusiasm. With Tarantino’s salty, flavoursome, script, outstanding camerawork by Guillermo Navarro and a fine soundtrack (score by Joseph Julian Gonzalez), this epic, 154-minute thriller is an intense, sweaty-palm gripper throughout and a real nail-biter in many places.

Also in the cast are Michael Bowen, Chris Tucker, Lisa Gaye Hamilton, Sid Haig, Tom Tiny Lister Jr, Hattie Winston, Denise Crosby, Aimee Graham, Ellis Williams and Diana Urbe.

Though 1995’s Get Shorty was a breakthrough success, Jackie Brown remains the best adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel.

Unfortunately, despite all hopes, it did not revive Grier’s star career like Pulp Fiction did John Travolta’s. It did Tarantino’s career a power of good, though.

The characters of Louis Gara and Ordell Robbie first appeared in Leonard’s novel 1978 The Switch but were revived for his 1992 novel Rum Punch. The Switch was finally filmed in 2013 as Life of Crime with Jennifer Aniston. Presumably just by chance, The Switch is also the title of Jennifer Aniston’s 2010 romantic comedy with Jason Bateman.

Jackie Brown is directed by Quentin Tarantino, runs 154 minutes, is made by Miramax, A Band Apart, Lawrence Bender Productions, Mighty Mighty Afrodite Productions, is released by Miramax, is written by Quentin Tarantino, based on Elmore Leonard’s novel Rum Punch, is shot by Guillermo Navarro, is produced by Bob Weinstein (executive producer), Harvey Weinstein (executive producer), Elmore Leonard (executive producer), Richard N Gladstein (executive producer), Lawrence Bender (producer), is scored by Joseph Julian Gonzalez and is designed by David Wasco.

Elmore Leonard died on August 20 2013, aged 87.

Robert Forster, the prolific, charismatic character actor who was nominated for an Oscar as Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Jackie Brown, died of brain cancer on 11 October 2019 in Los Angeles, aged 78.

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© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 366

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Bridget Fonda stars as Melanie Ralston in Jackie Brown (1997).