Samuel Jackson is a gun runner who methodically kills his staff
as they get picked up by the cops. Saves them snitching.
Alas, one guy snitched before Jackson got to him (Chris Tucker in
a hilarious bit) and Jackie gets picked up with quite a bit of
money she didn't declare in customs. She's got to deal with the
ATF, who want Jackson, who regretfully decides to off Jackie.
But Jackie's got a plan. The rest of the movie is about how she
carries it out--steal half a million and retire.
(If Jackie's as smart as all that, how come she's stuck in a
$16K/year stewardess job? Hell, anyone who isn't afraid of
Jackson ought to be able to find a job as a henchwoman somewhere
for five times that. For that matter, why does she wait until
she's in trouble with the ATF to execute the plan?)
After 45 minutes I was bored.
It's possible I expected more from the movie. I'm a Leonard fan,
but this is one of his more ordinary stories. I enjoy it when he
makes utterly unbelievable things be completely acceptable--and
then builds a story you care about around it. Jackie Brown wants
to be a character study. Wrong story. And, frankly, not very
interesting characters.
Beautifully acted, but there were a few parts that I wish
Tarantino could have used second-tier names to give them a chance
to score. DeNiro is wasted, but effective, Fonda is wonderful
playing wasted. Jackson is scary good, but in an ordinary part.
Keaton and Bowen as cops were great.
I was disappointed in Pam Grier; the woman I remember from the
70s was tougher.
But I only rented the movie for one reason--Robert Forster--and
the man delivered. As the bail bondsman who figures out all the
scams as they happen, he convinced me of the guy's intelligence,
decency, and utter, aching longing for JB.
In the end, worth a watch for him.
