Quentin Tarantino directs Pam Grier, Robert Foster and Samuel L. Jackson in this Elmore Leonard adaptation where an air stewardess is caught between a life ruining prison sentence and a vicious gun dealer.

A lot of haters complained last year that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was a movie where nothing happened. Well, here’s QT’s first experiment at that elusive pace. A lazy epic that rewards repeat viewing as you explore the perfection of forgotten stars, pressure-off big names and breakout actors easing themselves into richly written parts. Has Samuel L. Jackson ever been better… he’s one hip devil here? Have the marvellous Grier or Foster ever have such an adoring spotlight shone on them? Did any of us realise De Niro was weighing up cashing in his credibility to focus on a future of comedy vehicles and bagel adverts after playing the wobbly, mumbling Louis Gara? Smaller roles for the brilliant Michael Keaton , Sid Haig and Micheal Bowen! And Bridget Fonda stealing every scene she’s in as a bored kept brat itching to cause drama. So the low stakes, minimal violence crime plotting feels leisurely and indulgent… with acting and writing this good who wouldn’t want to float in the gentle but treacherous ocean for as long as possible? Great soundtrack and one of the best final kisses in all of cinema. An exercise in mature cool.

9

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