Reservoir Dogs (92)

3/7/97

What can you say about this film. Bloodier than PULP FICTION, and much shorter and easier to follow. Its plot has become a young director's cliche now. A robbery gone bad. A team of bad guys is assembled to do a jewel heist, but something goes wrong. It is believed that there is a rat on the team, how could the cops have shown up so quickly. Like PULP FICTION the time line is messed with, as we start in the middle. The cast has become (if they weren't already) a virtual who's who of independent film. You have indie godfather Keitel and indie god Buscemi and Tim Roth and the chubby Penn and Mr. Tarantino himself turns up as a member of the team. There is the Tarantino dialogue which is now found in all kinds of movies. The opening coffee shop (another indie landmark) scene where Buscemi pleads his 'no tipping' case and Tarantino explains what Madonna's 'Like A Virgin' really means are priceless. Madsen is absolutely psychotic and after watching this you'll never forget the Steeler's Wheel song 'Stuck In The Middle With You'. I've seen this a number of times and each time I hear something in the dialogue that I didn't remember from the time before. It's not a perfect film, there are continuity problems and no one on earth has as much blood in his body as Tim Roth, but it cannot be overemphasized just how pioneering this film is. Just about every crime movie of the last five years has RESERVOIR DOGS written all over it.
Harvey Keitel Tim Roth Michael Madsen Chris Penn Steve Buscemi Lawrence Tierney Randy Brooks [not the blonde from CHIPS] Kirk Baltz Edward Bunker Quentin Tarantino Lawrence Bender Steven Wright Cinematography by Andrzej Sekula Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Ebert **^ Maltin ***
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