Tarantino is the man of pulpy references and silly dialogues. His love for cinema is apparent in everything he does, it's just a shame that we don't seem to love the same things. He's impossible to ignore, but I'm not a big fan of his work.
Movies
It's been at least two decades since I last saw Tarantino's first feature film. I didn't remember much, but I've always considered it his best work. Revisiting it now, I still stand by that statement, even if the film has lost some of its shine (read: my taste changed considerably since I first watched it). A basic jewelry heist goes wrong, and while regrouping the guys quickly come to the conclusion that there is a mole in their gang. As the scattered arrive back at their rendezvous spot, it's key to find out who has been informing the police, something the audience will learn through a series of flashbacks. The meaningless conversations are obvious highlights, and the camera work is also surprisingly energetic (for a Tarantino flick). Once the focus shifts to the plot and the crime elements things get a little less interesting, the soundtrack too is a clear foreboding of what would become Tarantino's signature style. Good fun though.Read all
Overly long and lacking direction, the first two hours are purely there to paint a portrait of an era. That's fine if you love the 60s, I couldn't care less really. The final 45 minutes are a small improvement, even so Tarantino isn't really wicked enough to pull it off. There are some decent scenes in there, but they fade way in a film directed by a man too in love with himself to make a proper cut.
This may be innovative and fresh for the regular Hollywood fan, but it's weak and uninspired for those who are somewhat familiar with the source material. As an ode to Asian cinema, Kill Bill 1 falls completely flat and ends up being completely inferior. Tarantino tries a lot, but doesn't succeed in anything. The attempt at a stylish ending in the snow ? Kitano does it ten times better with 1 single shot. Impressive fight choreography? Well, the film was released in Belgium together with Hero, so no comparison. The editing and shot composition? Actors are so incompetent that everything is edited to pieces just to disguise their failings. So isn't there anything worthwhile? Chiaki Kuriyama was cool. The only one who managed to come across as bad ass. It's a shame she leaves the film in one of the dumbest ways possible. Tarantino simply isn't cut out for this type of cinema.Read all