What it’s about: Returning from her regular route between L.A. and Cabo, worn-down flight attendant Jackie Brown (Grier) is busted by ATF agent Ray Nicolette (Keaton) carrying an undeclared $50,000. The owner of that money, a small-time weapons dealer named Ordell Robbie (Jackson), hires world-weary bail bondsman Max Cherry (Forster) to get Jackie out because he needs her to get his half-million in profits from Mexico to the US. Now under pressure, Ordell and Jackie concoct a scheme which involves his twitchy old partner Louis (DeNiro) and wily stoner “surfer girl” Melanie (Fonda) to get the money through under the nose of the cops. But Jackie and Max form an unexpected bond and he helps her with an alternate plan to play both sides and finally walk away with something for herself.

Reflections: His third feature and follow-up to the smash success of Pulp Fiction, this is the only one of Tarantino’s mainline films to be an adaptation of an outside work, in this case Elmore Leonard’s 1992 novel Rum Punch. And it’s my favorite of his films because having that boundary to work with curbs some of Tarantino’s more obnoxious instincts and ends up delivering his most emotionally grounded filmmaking, centered around a powerhouse performance from Pam Grier. She oozes cool in every frame, but gives Jackie dimension and depth beyond Tarantino’s usual comic-book aesthetic–the scene in which she and Max talk over coffee about aging and starting over is one of the most heartfelt moments in any of his movies.

Everything around her is a talented filmmaker doing what he does best. The whole thing is an homage to ’70s crime and blaxploitation films, but is filled with other cinematic nods and references (eg: the opening sequence mirroring The Graduate). The music is fantastic, with Johnny Cash and The Grass Roots peppered into classic soul. The dialogue is sharp and witty, and the other actors are all luxuriating and chewing on it–Jackson’s jovial menace, Forster’s man of deep feelings and few words, and DeNiro giving an off-balance, restrained, and somewhat unexpected side turn. The pace is breezy, but the structure is interesting, weaving through a complex plot and showing the final money-exchange sequence three times from different points of view.

It is still very much a Tarantino movie, with all that entails–the long running time, casual violence, awkward racial elements, Boomer-era pop culture obsessions, new-wave inspired editing, and so on. But it’s the least show-offy, the one where he’s out of his own way the most, and is worth watching even for those who aren’t fans of his more indulgent and more heavily-discussed movies. A cool, sophisticated thriller with a melancholy edge and a lot of badass personality, a self-aware, career-best performance from Grier, and a willingness not to underestimate its audience, this stands out not only in its director’s oeuvre, but as one of the best crime films of the ’90s.