The best Tarantino film that Tarantino never did. The best film that Tony Scott did.
An ensemble cast orbit around two central characters, Clarence (Christian Slater) and Alabama* (Patricia Arquette), who find themselves caught up in a whirlwind romance and a massive cocaine heist. Only able to count on each other in their remarkably sweet duo, the pair make their way across the country and dodge all manner of pimps, crooks, cops and burnouts who aren't looking out for their best interests, all in an attempt to offload a sizeable amount of drugs so that they live out their planned early retirement.
Tarantino's story and script, combined with a Tony Scott (of Top Gun, Man on Fire and Enemy of the State fame) gives True Romance a unique feel. All the bombasticness and larger than life characters and turns that are characteristic of Tarantino are there and they're directed by a man who really knew his way around action and lent the production a blockbuster sheen that Tarantino has never chosen to embrace. The result is a colourful, exciting and charming piece of work with two oddly adorable people madly in love right at the eye of this storm of craziness.
You'd be forgiven for thinking the film's more Romance than anything else near the start. It does take a while to get going. If the endearing characters of Alabama and Clarence can hold you over until it really hits its stride, you'll be in for a great time.
One more notably endearing part of the movie is the soundtrack. Hans Zimmer, now known for the grand orchestral pieces that make films like The Dark Knight Rises and Inception feel like they're straight out of legend, gives an offbeat and endearing tone to the film with pieces like "You're So Cool" (which appears numerous times)
*Apparently the very same Alabama that's referenced in Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. Small universe, eh?
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