True Romance

This is Tony Scott’s best film, hands down. A big share of that goes to Quentin Tarantino’s playful script that sets True Romance apart from Scott’s newer good films, like Enemy of the State. This film is not only nice to watch, but it’s at least equally nice to listen to the dialogues. (2012-02-11)

Aside from Walken's Vincenzo, there's nothing here worth remembering. The dialogue lacks the bite that Tarantino would later apply to Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction. Even Scott doesn't have the form or ideas of his earlier or future films. Slightly above average, it entertains more in individual scenes than as a whole. (2005-02-01)

Even though the material could have been handled better by the director, I still can’t give less than a four to Tarantino’s script. I imagine that the scene with Vincenzo Cocotti would probably have been one of the film’s highlights had Tarantino been the director. Otherwise, it must be the dream of many men (and possibly women) to have such a cute, blonde, indestructible bodyguard who is constantly smiling and always happy to snuggle. Anyway, I enjoyed the film and if the director shared the screenwriter's sense of humor, I would have enjoyed it beyond 5*. (2017-07-31)

Elvis, comic books, romance, chatty gangsters. And above all, a couple in love who just wants to improve their lives. So be careful, world, because Alabama seems to find murder romantic, and Clarence will do anything for her. Now it's just a matter of having a little luck when several killers are after you, who will stop at nothing, let alone the sight of a gun. And in the end, I couldn't stop myself either. I could have had a thousand complaints that Quentin Tarantino is actually the same since his beginnings, the screenplay rushes too quickly from one place to another, and the dialogue is too absorbed in perfectly nonsensical topics and over-the-top absurdity. But Christian Slater, in his naivety and innocence, is truly a lovable hero, Tony Scott's directing hand is perfectly steady, and the last twenty minutes are packed with tension, surprises, fresh action, emotion – and, really, pretty much everything. On top of that, Hans Zimmer's soundtrack is amazing in that it occasionally lifts the mood, sometimes drives the emotions, and even occasionally slides into irony. A genre mishmash and at the same time a sharply defined darkly humorous singular experience. (2007-10-13)

It's easy to wonder what this film would be without Quentin Tarantino. Surely it would still have one of the most stellar casts ever, plus the skilled hand of Tony Scott, and an absolutely superb soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. But it would have lacked the soul that Tarantino's wonderfully relaxed screenplay gave it, and the story would have been completely lost. With all that, True Romance is one of the most charming and compelling crime stories I've ever seen, and Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette may be the best couple since Bonnie and Clyde. (2012-10-07)