Pulp Fiction (1994)

Thanks again to Jake Barbieri for requesting this review as well! Pulp Fiction (1994) is a crime film directed by the one and only Quentin Tarantino and released in 1994. The film has a star-studded cast, with John Travolta (who made his comeback with this film...before nuking his career again with Battlefield Earth (2000), Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Ving Rhames, Bruce Willis, Christopher Walken, and more! It took me a while to watch this film, for personal reasons, but when I watched it, I loved it! It has so many hidden messages that you'll spot something new every time you watch it again!

The film's plot does not go in chronological order, so I'll start with the beginning, with two criminals, and lovers (Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer) who decide, while eating at a diner, to rob the diner. The film then kicks into the opening with Miserlou playing over the colorful opening credits. The film then transitions into its, arguably, most famous scene. Two hitmen, Jules (Jackson) and Vincent (Travolta), are on a mission from their boss, Marsellus Wallace (Rhames), to retrieve a briefcase from a business associate, Brett (Frank Whaley). The two have an interesting conversation before they go up to the apartment where Brett lives. Vincent talks about how in Europe, the Quarter Pounder with Cheese is called a "Royale with Cheese". It's moments like this that underline Tarantino's dialogue skills. Anyway, when the two enter the apartment, they harass Brett and his stoner friends. This iconic scene has so many amazing lines, like "My name's Pitt, and your ass ain't talking your way out of this shit." and "'What' ain't no country I ever heard of, do they speak english in 'What'?" Both from Samuel L. Jackson. The scene is so hilarious in so many ways, that I don't want to go into more detail for those of you who, god forbid, have not seen it. Those who have know exactly what I'm talking about.

Then, going out of chronological order, Vincent, tasked with escorting Marsellus' wife, Mia (Uma Thurman), while he is out of town, takes her out to a vibrant restaurant where they talk about various things and participate in a dance contest. Things get bad when they return home and Mia overdoses on heroin. Vincent then must find a way to revive her and fix the situation.

The film has so many more amazing scenes. There's the scene where Captain Koons (Walken) talks to young Butch (Willis' character, but played by a child in this scene), in his typical Walken accent, about how Butch's deceased father had to hide a watch, passed down through generations, from his Viet Cong captors in "one place he knew he could hide something: his ass." Before giving it to the boy, barehanded. There's also the scene where Vincent and Jules have to take a dead body to a friend, Jimmie's (Quentin Tarantino), house to wait for the Wolfe (Harvey Keitel), a professional "cleaner".

This film has amazing dialogue and even better performances. There is no argument for not loving Jackson's Oscar-nominated performance. The subtle plot points are ones to look out for, I won't give any examples because I want you to find them. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning Best Original Screenplay for Tarantino and Roger Avary, rightfully so. All in all, please watch this film! I can't recommend it more. I rate this film EXCEPTIONAL on the scale.