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 do. 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". Though it’s new to DVD, Jackie Brown is almost five years old and we’ve heard very little from Mr. Tarantino since then. Though he does admit on the DVD that he can now rest easy from fans asking where Jackie Brown is on DVD! Combining a rather unique cast, some great soul music and Samuel L. Jackson sporting some really elaborate facial hair, Jackie Brown (to me) delivers.
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.
Jackie Brown, for me, was much better the second time around as there’s a lot to take in. Considering the film’s length, the amount of leading actors and the constant music of The Delphonics, it’s an overload for the senses! Samuel L. Jackson is great as Ordell and the rest of the cast isn’t too shabby either. As I mentioned before, I don’t think it’s quite on the same level as Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, but it’s close. What I (and everyone else) am waiting for is to see if Mr. Tarantino hasn’t lost his touch with his next movie…whenever that might be. Jackie Brown comes loaded with supplements and compliments brand new editions of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction (both special editions in their own right). Fans of Tarantino unite! Until another film comes out, these DVD’s will have to keep us occupied and with the myriad of supplements, it’ll be a nice ride.
Video: How does it look?
Unlike Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs (that’s the last time I’ll mention those two movies, I promise), Jackie Brown is shot in a "flatter" aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The image in anamorphic and for the most part looks very good. Tarantino likes his movie to have some grit and grain, therefore the transfer accurately represents his image. I, however, call ’em like I see ’em so I’d say that the image is very good, but some shots appear almost too grainy. Many times during the darker scenes, I noticed some pixelation in the black levels that I found almost distracting. Then again, some scenes have a level of detail that are simply amazing. A very inconsistent, yet fairly decent transfer when it’s all said and done.
Audio: How does it sound?
Sporting dual DTS and Dolby Digital tracks, Jackie Brown has never sounded better. I can remember when the movie first came out on Laser Disc a few years back, and I was impressed by the Dolby Digital sound. 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?
Labeled as such, this is a Special Edition and it’s a very good effort from Disney. After all, we had to wait for Special Editions of his other movies, so why not make them all with a ton of supplements? Though no audio commentary is recorded, I found this substitute (which also appears on the Pulp Fiction disc) to be even more acceptable. A fact track acts like a commentary track, only the sound isn’t impaired and we learn tons about the production and about every other facet of the film. It runs through the entire 154 minutes and acts just like subtitles. It’s there if you want it and I found it very entertaining and informative. A documentary entitled "Jackie Brown: How it Went Down" starts out the supplements on the second disc. Though running at 45 minutes, it looks and feels like a "typical" featurette. Interviews with the cast and crew are shown, as are some scenes from the movie. Still, this has Tarantino’s print on it and I liked the way it flowed. I found it much better than the "typical" featurette. Even more in-depth is a 55 minute documentary entitled "A Look Back at Jackie Brown". Yes, it seems odd that we’re watching "look back" featurettes on a movie 5 years old, but it’s the truth. It’s not as spiffed up as the featurette, but it has a lot more information. Given a choice between the two, I’d watch this. There are over 20 minutes of alternate and deleted scenes, but none that really make the film. I did like the alternate opening, but feel that the one they used (aka "The Graduate") worked better. The "Chicks with Guns" video is shown in its entirety, words cannot do it justice! No DVD would be complete without trailers and this has them in spades. Even radio spots for Pam Grier are included. There is also an MTV special that prmotes the film and Ebert and Siskel review the film as well (and not surprisingly gave it two thumbs up). Some cast bios and DVD-ROM material round out the supplements. Overall, it’s a great offering for fans of the film, and there are a lot of them. Run, don’t walk, to pick this disc up.
