RESERVOIR DOGS (1992) - Review

Reservoir Dogs

Crime/Thriller
1 hour and 40 minutes
Rated: R

Written by: Quentin Tarantino
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Produced by: Lawrence Bender and Harvey Keitel

Cast:
Harvey Keitel
Tim Roth
Chris Penn
Steve Buscemi
Lawrence Tierney
Michael Madsen

Four perfect killers. One perfect crime. Now all they have to fear is each other.

The next generation of filmmakers is bound to have been influenced by Quentin Tarantino in some way or another. The man left his fingerprints all over 1990s-culture by writing and directing some of the most quotable films of all time. Love him or hate him, Tarantino remains a filmmaker who continues to make movies for other filmmakers.

Tarantino's debut motion-picture, Reservoir Dogs, is undeniably among his best. With sharp dialogue, amazing performances, and simplistic but effective cinematography, the film showcases Tarantino's immense talents behind the camera. 

The film is filled to the brim with other cinematic references - especially 1970s pop culture - including to Brian De Palma and Sergio Corbucci (the cutting of the ear is an homage to Corbucci's spaghetti western: Django). While these elements are arguably borrowed, they do not detract from the creativity behind the story, and further evidence Tarantino being a filmmaker for other filmmakers.

The performances in Reservoir Dogs remain staples within the actors' careers. What further evidences Tarantino's talent is his eye for talent. Many of the performers in Reservoir Dogs were considerably unknown at the time of production, and after the success of this film have gone on to have lengthy and profitable careers (especially Steve Buscemi). The only then-big-name star within the film is Harvey Keitel, whose work with Martin Scorsese unquestionably is what made Tarantino want him for the role of Mr. White. Lawrence Tierney had been steadily working in movies prior to Reservoir Dogs, and was no doubt a veteran to the craft, but he never showcased much in the way of a standout performance. It'd be tough to single out one performance within Reservoir Dogs as being the standout performance because, honestly, all of the performances in the film are standout performances. The film, which is hefty and bloated with dialogue, never once is boring due to the believability and delivery of its cast. Some standout scenes would included the dialogue between Harvey Keitel and Steve Buscemi concerning the robbery-gone-wrong.

The performances in Reservoir Dogs can only take it so far, though. The effective cinematography - photographed by Andrzej Sekula - showcases the brilliant performances. Tarantino uses mainly long shots with a wide-angle lens in order to give the actors enough room to deliver their lengthy speeches. This, along with the very few settings within the film, sets up the atmosphere of a theatrical performance. Close-ups are used, but really only where needed. If the audience needs to see the reaction of a character to a situation or a piece of dialogue, they see it. Dolly shots are interchanged with handheld tracking shots, but this switching is almost unnoticeable. The switching of shots and techniques, and using the appropriate one for the right setting again showcases Tarantino's immense talent as a filmmaker.

What is perhaps the only scene that arguably doesn't work is the flashback involving Mr. Blonde, Michael Madsen's character. It gives us some back story to the character - which everybody knows how much Tarantino loves his characters - but when given some thought, is it really necessary to know the backstory of Mr. Blonde? He is labeled as being a psychopath for his actions at the unseen bank robbery, and is confirmed as a psychopath by his torturing of the kidnapped cop. He may be more effective as a psychotic character if the audience didn't know anything about him. The scene ultimately serves as just being a chance for Lawrence Tierney to grab some more screen time.

The story is magnificent. Leave it to Tarantino to come up with an idea for a heist film where the actual heist is never seen. To be a fly on the wall when Tarantino was pitching that to studio executives would've been an absolute treat. Understandably, Tarantino realized as a writer that what is new and interesting in the way of thinking about a heist-thriller is not necessarily what goes down during the heist. As is the case with most of his characters, he makes them interesting and everyday in the things they enjoy (such as 1970s music), but everyone knows there's something badass lying just below the surface.

With a sharply-written screenplay that includes some of Tarantino's most effective and hilarious dialogue, brilliant performances by actors who have since risen to fame, and an interesting story framed with excellent cinematography, Reservoir Dogs is a near-perfect entry in the filmography of Quentin Tarantino.

9.5/10

HOT FUZZ (2007) - Review

Hot Fuzz

Comedy
2 hours and 1 minute
Rated: R

Written by: Edgar Wright & Simon Pegg
Directed by: Edgar Wright
Produced by: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Nira Park

Cast:
Simon Pegg
Nick Frost

When the heat is on, you gotta call the fuzz.

Over the past decade, British filmmaker Edgar Wright has earned a considerably large fan base. Known specifically for comedies, it comes as no shock to learn that Wright's fan base includes similar filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. Wright comes from the school of filmmaking that caters strictly to film fans - and by no means is it a bad school to come from.

Hot Fuzz, Wright's third feature film - came at a time when Wright had gained notoriety for his highly successful horror/comedy Shaun of the Dead, also starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Where Shaun of the Dead was Wright's love letter to American-made zombie films, Hot Fuzz on surface levels is his love letter to American-made action films. The film blatantly references the buddy-cop action thrillers of the 1990s, including Point Break and the Bad Boys franchise. But what is perhaps more subtle is Hot Fuzz' references to horror films set in rural England.

The film references Peckinpah's Straw Dogs throughout the story, stating that a background character played an extra in Straw Dogs - and its excessive violence showcased in a peaceful rural English countryside can be drawn as a parallel to Peckinpah's film. The connection of the N.W.A. working for "the greater good" of their community can be directly linked to the pagan Scottish cult in Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man - who give into human sacrifice in order to serve "the greater good" of their small village. Indeed, this is further solidified by the presence of actor Edward Woodward in both Hot Fuzz and The Wicker Man. And lastly, the film directly homages Richard Donner's The Omen with the reporter being impaled by a piece of a church's roof - the same fate suffered by Father Brennan in The Omen. 

While these horror references are too subtle to be noticed at first glance, they are blatant in their belonging to the film - showcasing Wright's heavy influence by American-made action films, as well as his influence in the less frequented genre of British-based horror films.

The editing (Chris Dickens) and cinematography (Jess Hall) work wonderfully, utilizing quick cuts and handheld shots for such trivial occurrences as the characters' purchasing an ice cream cone. It is apparent here that Wright is familiar with the technical aspects of what makes an action film work. 

The fight sequences are astoundingly set up, effectively exploiting their unbelievability in order to draw in more laughs. By the time the banter between the two main characters' has become excessive, the humor effectively switches gears. The plot is explained in a dumbed-down version of what was really going on in the village (speaking to the simple plots of films like The Wicker Man), and shoot-outs between fit young police officers and old civilians take up the last thirty minutes of the film.

The acting is wonderful, and the cast is more than capable. Frost and Pegg already proved their onscreen chemistry with Shaun of the Dead, and other standout performances from the supporting cast include: Stuart Wilson, Jim Broadbent, and Edward Woodward (who, as mentioned, played the lead character in The Wicker Man). But the greatest performance in the film is delivered by Shakespearean veteran Timothy Dalton. Dalton, who is undeniably best known for playing James Bond from 1987 to 1989, based on his credentials, is one of the greatest - if not the greatest - actor of his generation. His presence in the film evidently encouraged the other cast members to step up their games, bringing out the best in his costars. This is evidenced by the scenes featuring dialogue between Dalton and Pegg showcasing Pegg's talent in a serious role. Dalton also proves himself still a capable actor for action films, showcasing his talent at stunt work in the film's action-packed finale. It's incredible that Dalton hasn't received much mainstream work since his James Bond days, considering his undeniable talent.

Despite a few unbelievability issues to the plot, Hot Fuzz is a wonderful action/comedy that is able to triumph over its minor problems due to the incredible performances by its iconic supporting cast, as well as its references and allusions to American-made action films and British-based horror films.

8/10