241. Reservoir Dogs; movie review

RESERVOIR DOGS
Cert 18
100 mins
BBFC advice: Contains  strong bloody violence, torture, strong language & sex references

Another lockdown classic movie release presented another chance to see Reservoir Dogs - a Quentin Tarantino film which I only saw for the first time a few years ago.
When it was fresh to me I gave it 9.5/10 but, inevitably, second-time-around, it lacked the same punch although nobody could deny the quality of its acting.
Nevertheless, I thought it was worth reprising my 2013 review.,,

A few weeks ago I was sitting in the office of the Chief Constable of Derbyshire when the subject of films came up as it normally does in any conversation in which I am involved.
He proudly pointed out the framed movie poster on the wall and I turned into a gibbering wreck.
The reason? I didn't want to admit I hadn't seen Reservoir Dogs.
Nowadays there are few so-called must-see films that I haven't ticked off but this and Pulp Fiction are two of them.
It's not that I have anything at all against Quentin Tarantino but these pictures belong to a time in my life which was a cultural desert.
In the early 1990s our children were babies and I would have been more likely to have been watching Postman Pat or Fireman Sam.
Anyway, my heart soared when I saw Reservoir Dogs was returning to the cinemas last Tuesday.
At last, I could see it on the big screen, I thought. But, no, I had forgotten we had been invited to a special screening of Les Mis on the same night.
Thus, I bit the bullet and rented it on iTunes and last night took refuge from the snow and watched the manic Michael Madsen and co.
And I have to say the hype I have endured for the last 20 years is entirely justified.
The brilliance surrounds the fact that Reservoir Dogs is pretty much all talk.
We hear so much about Mr Blonde (Madsen) being a 'psycho' and gunning people down for fun but never see evidence of it and even when it comes to the infamous ear scene, I was surprised at how little violence is thrust in front of the audience's eyes.
From the opening scenes in the diner to the three-way shoot-out in the warehouse, there is a fierceness about the movie despite there being precious little action on view.
Also, there a wonderful underlying coolness in the way the gang dress and look, with pristine suits and slicked-back hair.
For those who have been under the same stone as me, a gang of crims has been gathered together for a raid at a diamond wholesaler.
They are strangers to the point that the man who has brought them together (Lawrence Tierney) insists they are called Mr White (Keitel), Mr Orange (Tim Roth), Mr Pink (Steve Buscemi), Mr Blonde (Madsen), Mr Blue (Eddie Bunker) and Mr Brown (Tarantino).
The heist is a disaster, however, and the movie concentrates on its aftermath and the fear that they have been stitched up.
Keitel, Roth and Buscemi figure the most, giving performances of ultra-high intensity as they argue about what went wrong and what to do about it. Madsen is excellent as a nerveless killer.
Did I say I loved Reservoir Dogs? Well, I did. It was a magnificent appetiser for Tarantino's latest movie, Django Unchained which is released this weekend.
And, thankfully, I can now hold my head a little higher with the movie fraternity.

Reasons to watch: Great performances
Reasons to avoid: Thin storyline

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? The empty building where our multi-colored heroes rendezvous after the robbery was actually a disused mortuary. When Harvey Keitel and Steve Buscemi go to that back room to argue and wash blood off themselves, you can clearly see plastic tubes, embalming fluid, and such.

The final word. "If you go to a comedy, you remember that you laughed and had a good time, as opposed to Reservoir Dogs, where you feel like you’ve been hit in the head with a gun butt for two hours.” Asc Mag

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