Plot: What’s it about?
Quentin Tarantino burst upon the scene some ten years ago with a little movie called Reservoir Dogs. He then followed it up with one of the most talked about movies, Pulp Fiction. So what we were all asking ourselves is…can he do it again and make it a hat trick? Some would say yes and others no. I, for one, think Jackie Brown is a very entertaining movie but doesn’t quite live up to the high standards that Pulp and Reservoir Dogs. The precedent is just too high! And say what you will, but he does know how to rip off movies and combine them into a way that really works. The plots aren’t that original either, but when surrounded by great actors and a very clever script, all of these movies work on levels that most don’t. The question that is probably in people’s minds right now is “when will he make another movie”.
The film wastes no time getting right to the point, which I felt was rather odd for a two and a half hour long movie; but then again I’m not a critically acclaimed Hollywood director! Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) is an airline stewardess for Cabo Air. She was with the major airlines earlier in her life, but she got caught running some drugs and is now forced to make $16,000 a year for a less than superb airline. It seems that she hasn’t learned her lesson, either. Caught in a parking deck by two “authorities”, Mark Dargus (Michael Bowen) and ATF (Alcohol/Tobacco/Firearms) agent, Ray Nicolette (Michael Keaton who also played the exact same character in Stephen Sodenburgh’s Out of Sight that same year) they seize her travel bag and manage to find $50,000 and a bag of drugs. Knowing she’s been caught, she decides to work with the law in hopes of getting out of trouble. The real person they’re after is Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson) who’s meaner than mean in this film. Ordell is a small time arms dealer working out of Los Angeles and his newly recruited help, Louis (Robert De Niro) is a few cans short of a six pack. Louis is more at home smoking pot with Ordell’s “surfer chick”, Melanie (Bridget Fonda) than doing any real work.
Ok, now the fun begins…as opposed to hiding any information from both sides, Jackie openly tells Ordell that she is working with the law on this deal. She has it figured that she can do a “test run” to gain their trust and figure out a way to get all of his $500,000 out of the Cayman Islands and split the money with him. Naturally the feds don’t know this, but what’s so clever about the film is that appearances are very deceiving. Everyone is much smarter than they look (except Louis). Even the bail bondsman, Max Cherry (Robert Forster) gets in on the deal as he’s sick of his job and life and wants something more. It’s a game of who’s conning who and who will walk away with the money once it’s all said and done.
Video: How does it look?
I last saw this film when it hit Blu-ray and, well, that’s been a while. This along with Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are new to the 4K format. Unlike his previous efforts, this one is shown in a narrower (1.85:1) aspect ratio, but that doesn’t detract from what’s going on. There are several little nuances that I caught, mainly with improved and more vibrant colors along with the usual caveats of increased resolution, less grain and an overall better presentation. Seeing Robert De Niro’s amazing mustache, Samuel L. Jackson’s ponytail or Pam Grier’s waft of hair is something special in 4K. It’s not a night and day difference between the existing Blu-ray, but fans will certainly appreciate the uptick in picture quality with the 4K version.
Audio: How does it sound?
Jackie Brown delivers with, as far as I can tell, the same DTS HD Master Audio mix from the Blu-ray. I can remember when the movie first came out on Laser Disc and we’ve come a long way from there. I was even more impressed by the DTS on the disc. Dialogue is clear and doesn’t really take advantage of the audio, but when it comes to the surrounds and the ambience of the front speakers…it all pays off. Tarantino likes his music and likes to showcase it in his movies. Jackie Brown makes full use of the audio and it radiates throughout the speakers at many key points during the movie. While not a lot of opportunities arise to take advantage of the other speakers, it’s a great-sounding track that had me impressed.
Supplements: What are the extras?
All of the supplements are found on the Blu-ray and while nothing new has been included, it’s nice to have all of these in one place.
- Breaking Down Jackie Brown – Pretty much that. The same group that appeared on the Pulp Fiction disc also dissects and gives their .02 on this film. Critics included are: Elivs Mitchell, Scott Foundas, Stephanie Zacharek, Tim Lucas and Andy Klein.
- Jackie Brown: How It Went Down – A series of eleven shorter segments that can be played individually or via a “Play All” option.
- Rum Punch “Reading It Again That Night, I Fell In Love With It”
- Elmore Leonard “If You And Elmore Leonard Had A Child, That’s What This Is”
- Quentin’s Influences “Quentin’s A Huge Fan Of The ’60s And ’70s”
- Pam Grier “Quentin’s Been A Pam Grier Fan Forever”
- Robert Forster “And This Part Goes To Robert Forster”
- Samuel L. Jackson “He Just Says Quentin’s Lines Probably Better Than Anyone”
- Robert De Niro “I’m Actually Doing A Scene With Robert De Niro!”
- Bridget Fonda “She’s From A Good Bloodline Of Actors”
- Michael Keaton “And ‘Bang,’ He Was The Guy”
- The Production “I’m Making Movies With My Family”
- A Look Back at Jackie Brown – Interview with Quentin Tarantino about the film, its continued appeal and the genesis of the project.
- Chicks With Guns Video
- Siskel & Ebert “At The Movies” – The esteemed film critics review the film on their show, At the Movies.
- Jackie Brown on MTV
- Jackie Brown Promotional Contest
- MTV Live Jackie Brown
- Marketing Gallery – Essentially a gallery of trailers.
- Still Galleries
- Enhanced Trivia Track
- Deleted and Alternate Scenes
The Bottom Line
I liked Jackie Brown when it first came out, then…didn’t. I can’t explain it. I think it wasn’t so much that I didn’t like the film, but that it wasn’t one of his first two. Looking back over a quarter of a century later, I think I appreciate it more. At any rate, Lionsgate’s new disc gives the film new life visually along with a solid soundtrack and a nice array of extras.
