True Romance – Review

Almost anyone awesome and alive in Hollywood in 1993 was in True Romance, plus a few others. This Tony Scott directed banger of a movie is just so much fun. It has a wild energy to it, and a plot full of absolutely zany characters which all must have been an actor’s dream. Despite a tweaked Tarantino script which he potentially would have taken in a slightly different direction as director, I love this movie.

It’s hard to say who really stands out the most, since really everyone is pulling their weight, even in bit roles. Basically, the story takes an unexpected, rash and impulsive new couple, Clarence (Slater) and Alabama (Arquette), and pits them in a web of life and death vs. pimps, drug-dealers, cops, gangsters, potheads, actors, directors and the Hollywood limelight. Plot elements comingle naturally with seamless transitions from one exciting situation to the next.

Pretty much all of the characters and monologues are extremely memorable, giving the entire movie an exciting and unpredictable vibe, while pumping out classic lines and scenes. True Romance remains a fun ride, which despite some dark characters never seems to lose its sense of insane logic. It’s a tough balancing act of comedy, action and crime-related thrills, but the late Tony Scott worked magic on this one. Perfect casting, great music, and an Elvis impersonation for the ages.

I like this movie. Always have, always will.

I prefer the “Director’s Cut” version of the film; however, the differences are only slight compared to the theatrical.