The great virtue of Quentin Tarantino's films are that he gets a massive cast together. Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, the Kill Bill Duo; True Romance wasn't directed by Tarantino by he wrote the script and this film, directed by Tony Scott (Top Gun), has slipped through the Tarantino net.
This complete film is Tarantino except the way it's filmed. There's a different style in the filming, but the amazing cast get together, the long scenes and the story is very Quentin Tarantino style.
True Romance focuses around a young man, Clarence (Christian Slater), who works in a record shop. One night he meets a woman, Alabama (Patricia Arquette) who turns out to be a rookie call girl but the couple fall in love. There's just one problem; Alabama's crazy pimp, Drexyl (Gary Oldman), a white man who's basically turned black. Clarence, eager to get Alabama away from prostitution, kills Drexyl and, thinking he has Alabama's suitcase, they find out that contains cocaine so they flee down towards L.A. The cocaine, however, belongs to a Mafia Don, Vincenzo Coccotti (Christopher Walken) and he's determined to take his revenge by whatever means necessary. Eventually, when the LAPD catch onto the gist of what's happening, they involve themselves in dealing with the matter.
The cast is amazing. It includes Dennis Hopper (Clarence's Father), Val Kilmer (Clarence's Mentor in an image of Elvis), Samuel L. Jackson (Big Don, a friend of Drexyl), Chris Penn and Tom Sizemore (the two cops in charge of investigation), James Gandolfini (a Mafia henchman) and Brad Pitt (a laid back room mate). Ultimately, they all play short roles but all pave the way in the story.
There are many classic scenes as well. The gunfight at the end, Dennis Hopper's confrontation with Don Coccotti, James Gandolfini on a Mafia beat-up call and Brad Pitt's cameo.
The film, like any Tarantino involved film, is blessed with wit. Brad Pitt is comical as the couch potato room mate who spends his entire day indoors. Elliott, a later friend of Clarence's, is nervous and stupid yet thinks he's an amazing actor.
Ultimately, the aftermath of the gunfight is quite sad and is spawned by the fury of a film producer who lashes out at Elliott who has set him up. You see some likeable characters die in those last chaotic five minutes.
What makes the film so good, and Quentin Tarantino is skilled in making this work, the characters are not paper thin. Though the talented actors have minor roles, the characters are strong and charismatic. It's great to have a hero you can like in the fim. True Romance is Christian Slater's best performance.
This is a film that you must buy because of its complete fairytale charisma and wit.