I Just Don't Understand Tarantino

Like my previous blogs have mentioned, I have to catch up on my blogging, so I am going to catch up with number three on my list.

3. I watched "Reservoir Dogs" over the weekend and I will give you my review. Mainly how I don't fully understand Quentin Tarantino.

This excessively bloody, vulgar and violent movie is what Quentin Tarantino was looking for when he directed the film. It continues his successful line of movies that make audience laugh, cringe and scratch their heads.

The laughing is induced from the hilarity of some of the over-the-top gore and contrasting situations the characters are placed in. The cringing comes from an abundance of grotesque violence that is visually and audibly terrifying. The sheer amount of blood involved could make blood banks happy for years.

But the third point, the point I just don't get in Tarantino's masterful design is the cut-and-paste format that he uses for the majority of the film. To me it is a distraction from the forward progression of the plot. Some people love it, some people hate it.

I am split. I like the idea of doing the puzzle piece movie style because it makes the viewer try to put everything together, much like a jigsaw puzzle, but you try to put it together before the movie puts it all together for you.

On the other hand, I don't like it because the movie is going to solve it for us anyway. I have seen plenty of good movies that have forward progression and hit on the plot twisting tales in real time, or through flashbacks. You might know this as the "Oh factor." The point in the movie where you go, "Ohhhh, I get it now!"

As for the movie review, I liked it enough not to turn it off ... the second time. I began the movie and felt it took too long to get moving. Also I felt that poor Mr. Orange has the unfortunate roll of bleeding to death the entire film. Two hours of barely moving and profusely bleeding from the stomach must have been an awkward script to read and accept. "Yes, I want that role!"

The movie has an amazing cast, minus Tarantino casting himself like usual. The cast of Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi and Harvey Keitel do a great job of filling Tarantino's expectations, but frankly, I think they were a little too low. This movie could have been a classic bank-robbery-gone-wrong movie, but instead is just another decent rental for a slow, lonely Friday night.

I can see a lot of people disagreeing with what I have written because, like I said, you either love him or you hate him. So, I guess I hate him. Drum roll please...

Verdict: (3 of 5 stars) - Pictures and stars to come, when I get to my desktop.