There is not much that needs to be said about Tarantino. He has been one of the best doing it for almost my entire life.
10. The Hateful Eight [2015]
Such a strange movie! It feels like it was written to be a play and a lot of the performances seemed design to match that feeling. There’s also just a general feeling of unpleasantness to this that also mired Django. Tarantino’s attempts to create “Southerns” were worthy experiments, but they mostly came up empty in terms of satisfying movies. This one ended up with some noteworthy performances, and it certainly has its moments – there can be no doubt. But when it comes to separating Tarantinos, one of the biggest things is does it give me joy to watch it? And this one gives me the least amount of joy.
9. Django Unchained [2012]
I have always had a very strange reaction to this film. Foxx, Waltz, DiCaprio, and especially Jackson are all varying degrees of brilliant. All of their characters are captivating and made me invested in what happened to them. The story is just kind of a mess especially after the first hour. After DiCaprio and his corner of the world are integrated into the proceedings, the film just becomes so unpleasant to experience that I no longer enjoy anything happening. I have never been able to decide whether I like it or not or whether it is good or not. Maybe one day I will finally decide. In the meantime, there is a lot here to appreciate and certainly even more to talk about. Samuel L. Jackson’s character is probably one of the greatest things Tarantino has ever done.
8. Death Proof [2009]
This was one of those films that I simply was too dumb to appreciate in the theaters, and it took me nearly fifteen years to give it another chance. While there are a lot of things in general to like about this one, but the big ones to me are that it is an excellent modern showcase of Kurt Russell and then obviously the car chase finale sequence is awesome. Kurt Russell is one of most purely talented actors of the last forty years, and for some reason his talents are not being taken advantage of more by my modern filmmakers. QT gets him. And as for the car chases, goddamn the ship’s mast sequence is one of the tense things I have ever seen in a film. On the off chance you are a fool like me and have not revisited this one yet, you owe it to yourself to give it another chance.
7. Kill Bill: Volume 2 [2004]
If Volume 1 is a non-stop, revenge thrill ride that becomes an exercise in visual joy and excitement, Volume 2 is almost an exercise in terror and patience. That comparison perfectly explains why I love these two films so much because they are so different in almost every way but manage to feel like a satisfying cohesive whole at the exact same time. The way Tarantino manages to make you feel like you are the one who is buried alive or poisoned or had both of your eyeballs ripped out. And it is so goddamn terrifying every time. We know how the story of KILL BILL is goin to end, and Tarantino knows that we know. He makes us wait though and go on this journey of terror to make us earn it. It is so well done.
6. Kill Bill: Volume 1 [2003]
Volume 1 is simply one of the coolest movies ever made. It is just kickass action in some of the most creative fights I have ever seen on screen. Uma Thurman gives one of the most compelling and seemingly demanding lead performances in a big film. You believe every aspect of her character every step of the way, and it is hard to imagine that there are too many others out there who could have possibly pulled off this role in any way that was as compelling and believable.
5. Reservoir Dogs [1992]
You watch Reservoir Dogs for the first time as a teenager, and your mind is blown. Unless you saw Pulp Fiction first, you really saw nothing like this before. You grow up. Then after decades of watching more and more films, your mind and tastes expanding more and more, you watch Reservoir Dogs again. And it blows your mind in a whole new way.
How did Tarantino possibly come in so fully formed in his debut film?
Tarantino establishes from the get-to that one of his biggest tangible strengths is the dialogue. That seems obvious in retrospect but if you really take a close look at this film, you see how the dialogue manages to both be superficially spellbinding and also incredible dense in how it layers the levels of characterization with all the biggest players.
There’s this tremendous scene about halfway through the film that reveals just so much about the people in the film and the world in which they inhabit. Michael Madsen is out of prison and reporting back to Joe for duty. Joe’s son, Chris Penn, joins the meeting, and Madsen, a mere soldier, immediately humiliates Penn and his father. By all rights, Joe, this crime boss, and his son, would be expected to fight back in some serious way. Their honor needs to be restored.
But instead, they immediately cow. Why? You can tell from the lines and the delivery that the reasons why are complicated. There is a love of Madsen but some fear too. Sure, Joe, is this big tough, intimidating boss. But he has a soft spot for his son (who openly refers to him in public as “Daddy” in a way that ensures he is a Daddy’s boy) who is not super competent. And while Madsen has a tremendous amount of loyalty to Joe and fondness for Penn, it is clear that his actions are more out of some sense of code rather than more traditional love. It’s fascinating character work. And the whole film is like this. It’s just incredible. For Tarantino to already do what he clearly always wanted to do from the start is just remarkable.
4. Pulp Fiction [1994]
Pulp Fiction, like for many millenials, was my first `exposure to Tarantino as a young teen. It naturally blew my mind and was a part of the process of opening me up and expanding my mind to a bigger world. As such, and due in a much bigger way to its highly esteemed place in the larger culture, the movie existed as something bigger than myself for a very long time and became difficult to assess and express my feelings about.
After giving it a rest for a decade or so, I finally gave it another spin with fresher eyes. One of the things about the movie that stuck out to me most recently is how much it reminded me of…Seinfeld? Stay with me. A bunch of sociopaths go on and on about inane bullshit in a series of vaguely connected interconnected stories that manage to converge into utter chaos by the end. This is frankly, when done well, one of the most purely entertaining genres of art and also with an impossibly small margin of error (as every Tarantino wannabe learned to their peril for the next two decades after this).
3. Jackie Brown [1997]
Throughout his filmography, Tarantino manages to make films that can excite and satisfy teenagers and adults alike. And that is a remarkable accomplishment and something worthy of high praise. It is honestly one of life’s great joys to experience a piece of art at multiple stages of your life and get new satisfaction from it every time.
I say this to say that Jackie Brown is possibly only Tarantino that is about and exclusively aimed at adults. The film almost exclusively features adults who feel like they exist in some semblance of the real world trying to do their best to make their way through and come out whole. Yes, it is still a crime movie with wild dialogue and all that, but there is something deeper and deeply human happening here that I just find more and more satisfying with each passing viewing. It is a beautiful film.
2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood [2019]
There are a lot of aspects of this film one could focus on or be drawn to or whatever, but the most gripping part of the film to me will always be Cliff Booth and Brad Pitt’s performance. In many ways it feels like the defining star performance for Brad Pitt. It captures everything cool about the perception of Brad Pitt. The film effortlessly blends that with this mythical “Cliff Booth” who essentially is this idealized classic AND modern man. He is a loving friend. Self-reliant to a fault. Good with his hands. Respects the age of consent. Can defend himself and his loved ones. He is emotionally available. Etc. The film dares us to love him despite the very real possibility that he murdered his own wife. The film rubs our face in our desire to love him. It’s quite remarkable. This is one of those films that you know you are just going to rewatch over and over again.
1. Inglorious Basterds [2009]
It is the summer of 2009. I have just gotten back from two months working in the French Alps on a dairy farm that my family there operates. I come back to the United States and go to the movies with my grandfather. I convince him to go see the newest Quentin Tarantino film. And what do you know, the film starts in the fucking French Alps on a dairy far. I’m zeroed in. I have possibly never felt more glued to a screen.
Then Christoph Waltz appears on screen. There is so much to compliment and gush over, but all these years later I am still transfixed by what Tarantino and Waltz did together here. They crafted one of the most compelling and evil characters ever – he pops off the screen every single moment. After all this time, I am still in awe of it. And it helps solidify Basterds as Tarantino’s very best.
The Reel World 