Film #2: Pulp Fiction

What's going down?
Tarantino's greatest achievement unfolds out-of-sequence, but is still completely captivating and understandable. The plot unfolds in four main chapters (a staple of Tarantino's work). First chapter: hitmen Jules and Vincent (Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta) reclaim their boss's stolen property from some hapless lowlifes (the property in question, a briefcase with unknown contents, becomes the Macguffin of the film). Second chapter: Vincent takes his boss Marsellus Wallace's (Ving Rhames) wife (Uma Thurman) out for the evening and ends up racing to his drug dealer to save her life after she overdoses. Third chapter: Butch, a burned-out boxer (Bruce Willis) breaks his deal with Marcellus and refuses to throw a fight. He runs for his life and ends up captive of two violent rednecks. Fourth chapter: Jules and Vincent get some help from the Wolf (Harvey Keitel) in cleaning up their car after blowing their captive's head off, then get in a Mexican standoff when Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer rob the diner where they eat breakfast.

Who's in it?
Samuel L. Jackson is perfect as the always cool, philosophical Jules Winnfield. John Travolta makes the comeback of the century as Vincent, returning from has-been status to play the more concrete, worldly foil to Jackson's Jules. Ving Rhames is completely believable as the violent, vengeful Marsellus Wallace. Uma Thurman plays the coked-up, spaced-out Mia Wallace, who engages Travolta in some excellently written dinner conversation. Bruce Willis has the film's best role as boxer Butch Coolidge. Harvey Keitel is the film's best supporting character as the unflappable Wolf. Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer are a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde who open and close the film. Director Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Walken and Steve Buscemi all make cameos.

How's the production?
Quentin Tarantino earns his stripes as one of the best film writers, with not an unnecessary word to be found in the killer script heavy on themes of redemption. He also gives us an artfully shot heroin-taking sequence, raw suspense as Vincent prepares to give the OD'd Mia Wallace an adrenaline injection, and a very well-shot and disturbing incident in the basement of a questionable pawn shop. He also shows an affinity for long takes.

The greatest scene:
It's a hard sell between the aftermath of Mia Wallace's overdose, with Vincent frantically calling his drug dealer and desperately trying to figure out the injection, or the infamous basement torture sequence with Wallace and Butch held captive by two rednecks and their leather-clad Gimp.

Personal Impressions:
This is, without a doubt, Tarantino's magnum opus. It's unlike any other film I've ever seen. While Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta and Uma Thurman get most of the hype from this film, Bruce Willis deserves mention as well - his chapter and his tale of redemption could be the film's best. Failing to reveal the briefcase's contents is a smart decision, as it allows the audience to make their own theories (it's rumored to be everything from Marsellus Wallace's soul to the stolen diamonds from Reservoir Dogs). This is definitely one of the great films of all time.