THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 16, 1994 TAG: 9410140079
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines
LOWLIFE to the extreme is the stuff of which Quentin Tarantino has structured his comic masterpiece ``Pulp Fiction,'' a disturbing and ultimately threatening movie that contains enough ideas for a half dozen films, with memorable performances to match.
This is a director who revels in running wild.
After ``Reservoir Dogs,'' an ultra-violent but hilarious film about a failed jewel heist, Hollywood clamored for Tarantino to write and direct more scripts. He writes the kind of dialogue that makes actors want to appear in his films.
``True Romance,'' another violence-laden trip through crime time, irritated many mainstream moviegoers while attracting a cult following.
Now, taking the scripts for two short films he wrote earlier, and combining them with a new, third, short story, he has created a movie styled after the pulp crime magazines of the '30s and '40s.
The scripts are sharp, incisive, detailed and never cajoling. You may feel guilty about laughing, but it would seem impossible not to laugh often at ``Pulp Fiction.''
Consider the absurdities and exaggerations of these stories.
First, we meet Honey Bunny and Pumpkin (played by Amanda Plummer and Tim Roth), two hold-up thieves who are in love. They're thinking of switching from liquor stores to restaurants because liquor stores have become too risky. They're inept, no matter what they try.
Then we meet two hapless hit men, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winfield (Samuel J. Jackson). They've been ordered to retrieve a mysterious black briefcase from a couple of amateur crooks, but they seem to have a habit of doing everything wrong.
The first story is called ``Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife.'' The wife in question is a flaked-out drug addict played by the tall, lanky Uma Thurman. Her husband, Marsellus, is the boss who is so jealous that he once had a guy thrown out of a high-rise window just because he gave her a foot massage. Vincent is assigned to chaperone her to nightclubs around town. She snatches his drugs and may have overdosed to the point of death. He sees his own life in real danger. Travolta is delightfully bumbling and may nab an Oscar.
The second story is called ``The Good Watch'' and it has Bruce Willis as a down-and-out prize fighter who refuses to take a dive and, instead, bets a great deal of money on himself. He goes for the win and hopes to escape with his absent-minded French girlfriend, played by the doll-like Maria de Medeiros of ``Henry and June.'' Complications develop. His main problem is that he develops a case of conscience and - well, we won't tell more.
Two unbelievably despicable Southerners show up to prove that Tarantino may be original in other ways but he still adheres to stereotypes when it comes to writing regional characters. The choice to play such a minor role is yet another of the career moves that proves Bruce Willis is intent upon being more than a mere star. He's showing us something.
The third edition is called ``Jules, Vincent, Jimmie and the Wolf'' and concerns what can only be described as sick humor - so sick that every member of the audience can feel superior while laughing at it.
When driver Jackson runs over a bump, Travolta accidentally shoots a hostage, and it's clean-up time - a process that eventually involves Harvey Keitel, as a worshiped pro, and a bewildered homeowner played by the director himself.
And then there are little ``extras,'' like Christopher Walken's droll speech about Vietnam. There isn't a weak performance in the film.
Tarantino is still a better writer than he is a director, but as long as he directs his own scripts, he can't lose. The film has already won the Cannes Film Festival honors this year - with more awards to come.
The running time is almost 2 1/2 hours, but it seems much less. Tarantino keeps us guessing, and on the alert, at all times.
Like it or not, this is a must-see film. It's likely to be talked about everywhere, perhaps for years to come. If you ``get'' the humor, you'll practically roll out of the seat with laughter. If you don't, you'll still know you've been to one wild, audacious flick. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
BRUCE WILLIS
Photo
MIRAMAX Films
Amanda Plummer and Tim Roth play two thieves in love in ``Pulp
Fiction.''
Graphic
MOVIE REVIEW
Pulp Fiction
Cast: John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel,
Christopher Walken, Samuel L. Jackson, Rosanna Arquette, Tim Roth,
Amanda Plummer, Maria de Medeiros, Ving Rhames
Director and Writer: Quentin Tarantino
MPAA rating: R (extreme violence, extreme language)
Mal's rating: Four stars
Locations: Circle 4, Main Gate in Norfolk; Kemps River Crossing,
Lynnhaven Mall, Pembroke Cinemas 8 in Virginia Beach.
by CNB