Reservoir Dogs ---- ***1/2 (out of 5) (1992)
Cast: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Christopher Penn, Steve Buscemi
Director(s): Quentin Tarantino
Screenwriter(s): Quentin Tarantino
Released on: October 23, 1992
Reviewed on: September 17, 2004
Rated: R - for intense and often graphic violence/gore, and very heavy profanity
After seeing both Pulp Fiction and RESERVOIR DOGS, two Tarantino films that are believed to have influenced the 90's, I couldn't help but fall in love with the director's deliciously fresh and unconventional screenplays. I'm guessing that part of QT's enormous following has a lot to do with his desire to break away from what he considers boring, traditional storytelling. In the case of RESERVOIR DOGS and PULP FICTION, this is executed brilliantly and delivered with tough and unflinching cinematic power.
A motley crew of vicious, hard-hitting criminals are banded together by a crime boss named Joe Cabot to pull off a jewelry store heist. Their names are dictated by color to make sure none of the men know anything about each other, so as to avoid treachery or betrayal. After the first scene, which showcases casual conversation between the eight men at a diner, the film kicks into high gear with one of the thieves named Mr. Orange in dire need of medical attention because of a gunshot wound. Mr. White takes him to an abandoned warehouse and reunites with Mr. Pink to make an attempt to sort things out. At this point, it becomes clear that the robbery backfired with some bloody results. It's now up to the few survivors to find any other man that might be alive and uncover who the traitor is that alerted the authorities.
Directly when the film opens up with a bitingly funny conversation regarding Madonna, the end result could be compared to a bomb dropping. No one really sees it coming, it arrives on cue with a huge bang, and then leaves unforgettable devastation in its wake. RESERVOIR DOGS is a raw, gritty gangster flick that isn't afraid to let all restraints go. Although it's easy to try and match it up with THE GODFATHER since they're both crime films, they really shouldn't be categorized into the same genre since GODFATHER has a distinct storytelling style far different from RESERVOIR DOGS. This film hits us with some intense violence and cold, hard truths about crime, consequence, and redemption that clocks in at a jam-packed 100 minutes while GODFATHER stretched it out to nearly three hours. It clearly dictates how amazing Tarantino's writing skills had to have been to pull this off.
By all of the positive remarks I've thrown together about this film, it's no doubt that I demand you see it, but be cautioned about the extreme violence in the film. Like PULP FICTION, it strikes you with jaw-dropping force, knocks your head around with puzzling facts and foreboding clues, and leaves a lasting impression that's nearly impossible to deny.
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