Pulp Fiction

Before I saw this I assumed it was probably overrated. I was wrong. It lives up to and surpasses its reputation in pretty much every way. I would definitely recommend.

Tarantino is without a doubt one of the best directors of all time and maybe the best of the 90's. His first film, Reservoir Dogs was amazing and claustrophobic, his segment in Four Rooms was by far the greatest (even though Rodriguez's was excellent too)and Jackie Brown is a wonderful homage to the Blaxploitation films of the 70's. However, Pulp Fiction remains my favourite.

It was nominated for so many Oscars that I still find it hard to believe that it only got one: Best original script. I'm not complaining because Forrest Gump got best picture, since that film was also Oscar-worthy, but come on, movies like Tarantino's or the Shawshank Redemption deserved much more.

Anyway, going back to the movie, I particularly liked the first and second chapters, and that's really a contradiction because one of the movie's finest characters, Mr. Wolf, appears on the third. Bruce Willis also does a great job, and as far as I'm concerned he fell in love with the movie right after having read the script. I like the way his character gives a "tough guy" image at the beginning and then we discover he's so affectionate and tender to his wife. Travolta is obviously the star of the movie and his second encounter with Bruce Willis in the kitchen along with the scene where he dances with Uma Thurman is when the movie reaches it's highest point.

The other star is Samuel L. Jackson, who plays a wise assassin that obviously knows how to handle situations. "And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger..." is my favourite quote.

Summarizing, Pulp Fiction is a modern classic and a must-see for anyone who is at least aware of what a movie is. I give it a 9 out of 10.

To put this in context, I am 34 years old and I have to say that this is the best film I have seen without doubt and I don't expect it will be beaten as far as I am concerned. Obviously times move on, and I acknowledge that due to its violence and one particularly uncomfortable scene this film is not for everyone, but I still remember watching it for the first time, and it blew me away. Anyone who watches it now has to remember that it actually changed the history of cinema. In context- it followed a decade or more of action films that always ended with a chase sequence where the hero saved the day - you could have written those films yourself. Pulp had you gripped and credited the audience with intelligence. There is not a line of wasted dialogue and the movie incorporates a number of complexities that are not immediately obvious. It also resurrected the career of Grease icon John Travolta and highlighted the acting talent of Samuel L Jackson. There are many films now that are edited out of sequence and have multiple plots etc but this is the one they all want to be, or all want to beat, but never will.

I like the bit with the cheeseburger. It makes me want to go and get a cheeseburger

This is Tarantino's masterpiece, there's no other way to say it. It has arguably one of the smartest scripts I've ever seen. The story, which is non-linear, is so well constructed it takes several viewings to grasp it all. The movie doesn't seem to be about any spesific thing, but there is a subtle hint of redemption as a central theme. The characters and preformances in this movie are practically perfect. This is still one of the best performances I've seen from Sam Jackson, and it's an outrage he didn't win an Oscar. Each scene has its own unique flavour and charm, every segment has its own arc while also tying into the main plot. The comedy is great, the serious moments are great, every word of dialogue is exciting despite seemingly not having any reason to exist. This movie is just such a great time, and I recommend it to everyone who loves movies. I cannot think of a single genuine flaw with it, and it will remain one of my favorite movies for a long time.