Written by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt
Rating: [4/5]
Stories of star-crossed lovers help play into the fantasy of at a moment’s notice one can meet the love of their life, but they just might not know it yet. Something any hopeless romantic can get behind. With True Romance not only do we have this occur but instead of focusing solely on the romance, we get quite the ride they go on that truly tests the resolve of the relationship in such an entertaining manner.
Striking up a conversation at a movie theater, Alabama (Patricia Arquette) and Clarence (Christian Slater) decide to leave all of thie attachments and get married. However, when they accidentally grab bags that contain cocaine, they find themselves in the middle of a dangerous circumstance involving mobsters, drug dealers, and even the police.
From the mind of Quinten Tarantino as a screenwriter and the always-ensured direction of Tony Scott, True Romance feels like a genuine treat. Tarantino typically accompanies his writing by bringing his directorial style but with this feature, he decided to sell off in order to make his first directorial effort in Reservoir Dogs. Both are excellent films but it does make me think what this feature would have looked like had Tarantino decided to direct this one as well but, of course, Tony Scott is no slouch, and what he crafts in this feature on the visual side of things assists the int exhilaration of the story.
With all of the craziness happening around them, True Romance hinges heavily on the relationship between Alabama and Clarence. Not only do we have to buy they could quickly fall in love with each other, but this bond would build a level of resolve that endures everything they go through in this feature, which would require aplenty. While any audience member can introspectively decide what would serve as their breaking point in this circumstance, the film vitally sells what makes Clarence and Alabama’s love this strong. It certainly helps Patricia Arquette and Christian Slater have a chemistry that jumps off of the screen. Arquette, in particular, absolutely dazzles when on screen and helps make Alambama such a captivating character to watch. Arquette helps shape her into this woman who will take what she wants serving as a wonderful complement to Clarence’s more compulsive traits.
Chased by many, this feature introduces a whole host of characters who enter the fray and serve their distinct purpose and each of them leave their mark. This occurs even with the very questionable look given to Gary Oldman as pimp Drexl Spivey. The moments with these characters, in particular, demonstrate Tarantino’s inherent talent for writing dialogue for characters. The scene between Vincenzo Coccotti (Christopher Walken) and Clifford Worley (Dennis Hopper) sums it all up and their back-and-forth grows from adversarial to violent. This man could write any two people talking in a room and make it incredibly engaging. Watching this feature allows us to point at the screen and state “Oh, wow they’re in this too.” It includes individuals who will later become Tarantino regulars. Individuals like Val Kilmer, Brad Pitt, Samuel L. Jackson, James Gandolfini, Chris Penn, and Tom Sizemore. So many fun faces to match up with the characters they receive.
As much as this feature feels like a writer’s movie, Tony Scott did not take a backseat when it came to his role as the director. The man knows how to craft tense circumstances and throughout the feature, we feel this pressure continually being applied to Clarence and Alabama as the problems they’ve found themselves in continue to circle around them. Even with the inherent tension that accompanies the film, it still contains this vibrancy because Alabama and Clarence have this wonderful chemistry with each other. I find the costume design for these characters particularly appealing as it lays out the personality of these characters and represents their place in the story. Alabama always has these bright pops to her making her such a light in this story and ultimately someone worth fighting for. Scott rarely misses with his directorial efforts and he certainly did not with this one.
Always captivating and keeping you on your toes, True Romance astounds with such an entertaining story. A film featuring an abundance of riches in all areas of the project not just in front but also behind the camera with cinematography from Jeffrey L. Kimball and editing from Michael Tronick and Christian Wagner. They assist with the continual engagement the feature provides and how it never lets up with scene after scene of entertainment. Patricia Arquette and Christian Slater make for a killer couple and going on this journey with them feels like such a treat even when things get messy and violent, which they do in spades. Certainly, something we can expect with a feature penned by Quintent Tarantino, even in his early days.
Films with Josh 
