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Death Proof

Well, sort of. You see Tarantino's Death Proof (forming half of the Grindhouse failed experiment) is a film that doesn't actually quite work. But it has to be said even a failing Quentin Tarantino is much more interesting than a lot of guys getting it right.

Death Proof if you listen to the pitch is supposed to be a homage to the exploitation film of the 70's. Films that relied on gimmicks, violence, nudity or just plain being hilariously advertised as being something they won't. Now whilst Death Proof no doubt has some of the qualities (the 'death proof' car, a extended car chase and perhaps even the whiff of being sold as something it's not) you can't quite call it an exploitation film, it isn't quite a 'grindhouse' feature.

Now if you crossed say Death Race with Godard's A bout de souffle (aka Breathless) you'd come up with something like Death Proof. That is to say it's exploitation cinema filtered through the French New Wave. High octane action with little plot behind in mixed up with dialogues that don't serve storytelling just characterisation and that seem to just drift along. Thus we have the rollicking Vanishing Point style of the final twenty minutes alongside the near aimless round discussions of the girls in the cafe. (There's nothing more new wave than a cafe!).

Truth is Death Proof was never going to be a totally brainless exercise of throw-away action and bouncing booties (tho' Quentin ensures there is plenty of booty on show) like Rodriquez's Planet Terror. No more than Kill Bill was going to be a cut and dried Kung-Fu movie. IT was always going to come out as Quentin Tarantino presents his version of Grindhouse.

Looking at the film itself it's full of those trademarks you'd expect from the big chinned one; an eclectic soundtrack of old funk records, snappy exchanges, great little monologues and those carefully framed shots that manage to look fresh and classic at the same time.

This is backed up with Kurt Russel's Stuntman Mike who is a brilliant creation both of page and of performance, a cool calculating fiend with eye for the ladies and quality turns from the likes of Rosario Dawson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Vanessa Ferlito. And well, what Zoe Bell lacks in subtly she makes up for in enthusiasm.

Further credit has go to the stunt-team behind a truly exhilarating final third of the film as people hang from car bonnets and ol' fashioned muscle cars go to toe-to-toe down expressways and country lanes.

Now it is true that it is very much two films sliced together (that it might have worked much better following a classic stalk 'n' slash format), that it does for good periods just drift along not really going anywhere and that unless you go for Tarantino's style of writing it can be hard to take to the characters. (Though I am less convinced by those who argue QT can't write for women; why can't women (who mostly work in media industries) be culture vultures like a a blue collar gangster?)

Certainly true is the fact that film is misrepresented as a thrill-a-minute ride. It isn't. It's a segment of Four Rooms with a car chase at the end and a severed foot in the middle. It will divide people and even I admit it's not a total success and has problem. It is however as said much more interesting to spend an evening watching than John Carpenter Presents A John Carpenter film of John Carpenter's Vampire.

Plus on the bright it looks as though after just playing around for a decade it looks as though Tarantino may finally have decided to really nail down and make another proper film in the shape of 'Inglorious Bastards', a pet project since his video store days. It's already got an increasingly eclectic cast (could Mike Myers grab a Travolta style rejuvenation?) and with word on the grape vine that a leaked script is some of the Chin's best writing it all looks rather quite promising.

Still until take a look at Death Proof, you may not like it but at least you will react to it.