When the subject of favorite movies in different genres comes up, I always say that my favorite romantic comedy is “True Romance.” True, the movie isn't usually listed in this genre, but it is hilarious and truly romantic. The main characters even meet in a cute manner. This isn't some frothy, Jennifer Lopez rom-com, however. It's a cool-ass crime film written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott ("Top Gun"), and one of the best movies ever!
Christian Slater plays Clarence Worley, a comic-store clerk who loves Elvis Presley and spends his birthdays watching kung-fu movies by himself. When he meets Alabama (Patricia Arquette), they fall in love the first night. Clarence isn't bothered when he learns that Alabama is/was a call-girl, but it does gnaw at him that she had a pimp. When he confronts the pimp (Gary Oldman), Clarence winds up with a suitcase full of un-cut cocaine. Hoping to sell the coke and start a new life together, he and Alabama head to Hollywood, with the Mafia hot on their trail.
It's rare that a movie is perfect, or at least that its charm shines so brightly that it blinds you to any flaws. “True Romance” is a perfect movie to me, and it has remained so over many years and many viewings. Every scene crackles with the funny, realistic dialogue that made Tarantino famous. Even in the small parts, the supporting cast is simply amazing, including Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, James Gandolfini, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer, Brad Pitt, Bronson Pinchot, Chris Penn, and the list goes on. I hate to single out any one performance, as there are no throwaway roles here, but Saul Rubinek is particularly entertaining as an egotistical movie producer. Patricia Arquette's southern accent leaves something to be desired, but she is so adorable that it is easy to overlook that. Her voice-over narration at the beginning and end of the film is an artistic choice that I might not have made, either, but then the whole movie is just so charming that that narration is like the mole on Cindy Crawford's cheek, it's a flaw that merely adds to the beauty.
Clarence is one of the truly great literary characters. When we first meet him, he is a lonely guy working in a comics store, seemingly waiting for his life to begin. It turns out he was just a lock waiting for a key. With Alabama, his world expands, and his potential energy is made kinetic. He is charming and open, yet capable of decisive action, and did I mention that Elvis talks to him in the bathroom? Clarence and Alabama are a couple of innocents in a dark forest. Surrounded by danger, they make it through because of their big hearts and because they hold on to each other, and that, my friend, is True Romance!
5 stars out of 5
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