True Romance: Shakespeare would probably get hard with this one.

This is a film not just about one large, all consumimg romance that catapults all other characters into a typically violent Tarantino climax, it is also a film that celebrates all the other little romances we have, mainly our dreams, aspirations and love for one another. Whether we're friends, father's, sons, daughters that taste like peaches (not any one singular peach) or murderous psychopaths who just want to see if their victim's facial expressions differ from one to the next come their imminent death.

The plot is seemingly simple enough. Hooker Alabama, sorry, 'Call girl', meets guy loser, Clarence, they fall in love. Clarence, haunted by a loving Elvis in the mirror, is convinced he must kill her pump because that's the right thing to do. Also he's going to pick up her things and yet unwittingly manages to acquire a suitcase filled with blocks of cocaine worth $500k street value. Alabama is overwhelmed with this overstated display of affection and so they decide to sell it all in one big drug deal, sail off to Mexico, raise an Elvis clone and live happily ever after.

A lot happens in between of course but let's take a peak at some of my favourite moments.

Best scene has got to be when Clarence's father (the pure brilliance that is Dennis Hopper) regales the Italian mafioso of their true heritage, thus affording a quick death on the back of their indignation. It was beautiful. The soundtrack, possibly one of Mozart's arias, was a great accompaniment.

However, my second favourite scene and close runner-up was when Gandolfini, playing one of the Mafia thugs, interrogates Alabama. The brutality he visits upon her is stomach churning but the edge is taken off by her sheer will and determination to frustrate the bastard, especially when laughing in his face and flipping the bird in an almost childlike manner. Not just that but what becomes apparent in this scene is that the movie is punctuated by all the other romances the individual characters have with their lives. For Dick Richie it was getting apart in a TV series. For Clarence's dad it's the love his son. For Gandolfini, it's his love of killing. The first kill is the, "Bitch of the bunch". He also took a bust to the head like a pro.

Hans Zimmer's soundtrack is minimalistic and is hitting on some strong African vibes. I suspect he was too busy writing the score for the Lion King that came out the following year.

Further Comments

Floyd (Brad Pitt), as per the requirements of his character, is a piece of shit. He did, however, make me laugh the most: "Condescending me man. I'll kill you man". Will you fuck, hahaha. How the hell he wasn't killed amazes me.

Obviously this movie was made in the 90's so a silouhetted sex scene was key to its success.

I couldn't believe that was Gary Oldman. I'm not entirely sure why he had dreads and acted like he was an African American/Rasta. How do you even research that role? What was the point? Was the character based on a real life gangsta of the same calibre? Was it racist? Who fucking knows.

Overall I enjoyed this film as much as I did when I first watched it as a teen. The epilogue was long-winded: don't lecture me on blind love you beautiful nutter! The shoot-em-up scene was elongated as well and peppered with clunky dialogue e.g. "I never told you this...but I really hate pigs (or cops)". No shit you witless, unnecessarily-armed-and-had-way-too-much-screen-time goon. You work for a drug lord. Duh. Apparently Tony Scott rewrote large parts of the script. It shows. The buffoon. Either way, it was still great fun to watch what with an eclectic cast of characters ranging from infantile, love struck misfits to dumb as a bucket gun wielding cops, robbers and romantics.

4 kungfu marathons out of 5