Movie Review: Pulp Fiction

Ranked number 5 on IMDB's top 250 movies, Pulp Fiction is known as one of the best pictures of all time. It was released in 1994, a year that included other movie greats such as Forrest Gump and The Shawshank Redemption. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction has an "A" list of actors including Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, and Uma Thurman.

Pulp Fiction is the story about how four different person's lives intertwine with violence and mob activity. The movie shows glimpses from each individual's viewpoint and brings it all together towards the end. When viewing the movie, the viewer can feel the uniqueness of it's directing style, which is very intriguing.

I laughed out loud when I first saw John Travola as a mobster, knowing him from movies such as Grease and Hairspray, but he fit his part extremely well. Samuel L. Jackson was very entertaining through his "bad-ass" attitude towards the other characters with amusing punchlines in almost every scene. I also enjoyed that Pulp Fiction included 3 or 4 main characters, not focusing on one specific person.

By using great actors as well as impressive directing, Quentin Tarantino did a fantastic job with Pulp Fiction. I recommend this movie to everyone except children because of the use of vulgar language and frequent gore. This movie offers much more than just explaining why a quarter-pounder with cheese in France is called a royale with cheese. Go see it!

Movie Review: Slumdog Millionaire

After winning 8 Oscars and 63 other movie awards, Slumdog Millionaire has had a very successful year. Winning best picture at the Oscars has put it up with likes of Schindler’s List (1993), Forrest Gump (1994), and The Godfather (1973). Slumdog Millionaire, however, does not deliver the same level of perfection as past winners, and viewing it does not give a feeling of “this is the best picture of the year.”

Slumdog Millionaire is the story of young Jamal Malik, a teen from Mumbai that gets chosen to be on India’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” He does not have much education, but he answers many questions correctly based on life experiences. When a question is asked, the movie flashes back to the past to reveal why he knows the answer for that particular question.

Director Danny Boyle did do a good job with presenting the movie in a fresh way, but it did not have the expertise of a typical “best picture.” The story is fairly interesting, but there are not any surprises with the story’s direction, therefore the story is predictable for most of the movie. Best pictures should show audiences fresh and unpredictable stories, but Slumdog Millionaire does not. A question is presented when the movie first starts, and it is answered at the very end. The way this was designed, and the question itself for that matter, seemed tacky and irritating as well.

Flaws aside, Slumdog Millionaire is a good movie. I do recommend seeing it even though I do not believe it is best picture material. When it is released on DVD, rent it and decide for yourself.