R, 120 min.
Director: Tony Scott
Writer: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Christian Slater,
Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt,
Christopher Walken, Bronson Pinochot, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Rapaport, Saul
Rubinek, Conchata Ferrell, James Gandolfini, Victor Argo, Chris Penn, Tom
Sizemore, Kevin Corrigan
Tony Scott and Quentin
Tarantino made a surprisingly fit pair in 1993, when Scott directed Tarantino’s
first sold screenplay. The original screenplay was one of QT’s sprawling
dialogue-driven epics until Warner Bros. parceled it out into the two scripts
that would become “True Romance” and “Natural Born Killers”. The former
probably came out closer to something that held the QT signature than Stone’s
paranoia-driven take on reality-based television and serial killers.
Scott’s film has a
never-ending list of stars in small roles. Samuel L. Jackson may have a record
for his role here as the highest billing for the least amount of screen time.
He’s on screen for about a total of 12 seconds before he’s blown away in a drug
deal. Oh no, wait, Val Kilmer is never seen on screen and he’s billed even
higher than Jackson. Of course, he actually has some significant dialogue as the
hero’s imaginary Elvis, and you do get to se him out of focus in the mirror
once.
“True Romance” is alive with
Tarantino’s excellent dialogue, and Scott adds to that by making the film
visually alive. From the neon lit comic book shop to the sundrenched magic hour
hotel room where Alabama is nearly beaten to death by a young and thin James
Gandolfini, “True Romance” is electric with Scott’s lighting style and sideways
camera angles. It is probably one of the better director/writer collaborations
of Scott’s career.
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