Death Proof (2007)

Grindhouse cinema was largely popular from the 60's-80's. These films that encompassed Grindhouse depicted the seedier underworld of cinema and tackled zombies, vampires, serial killers, sexploitation, etc. They were shlock films, derided by critics at the time, and their only popularity existed in the form of drive-ins and midnight showings. Some have become cult classics, others have vanished from the cinematic radar. Some have been re-evaluated for their artistic merit and yet again, others are as fiercely criticized now as they were at the time of their release. And some live on through the scope of movie geek directors. Like Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino decided to pay loving tribute to these films with his own, Death Proof. A killer car movie (no, not like Christine) about psychotic men, fierce, sympathetic women, and a whole lota revenge. It's far from a perfect film, but boy, once it gets cookin', it's a whole hell of a lot of fun.
The film is about Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) a charismatic stuntman who drives a mean set of four wheels. He's got this terrible scar and though seemingly likable at first, is kind of creepy. Well, you don't know the half of it. The film begins with a group of women, Arlene (Vanessa Ferlito), Jungle Julia Lucia (Sydney Tamiia Poitier), and Shanna (Jordan Ladd). Their exchange inside a car is long-winded and aimless and I started to lose faith in the film right then and there. Quentin Tarantino is known for his stylized dialogue which I usually much enjoy. This exchange felt like a wannabe Tarantino trying to simulate his well-worded magic. But anyway: Our three girls talk about men and the cabin in which they plan on staying for a vacation. Jungle Julia is actually a well-known radio personality and has decided to have a little fun with her friend Arlene. Whoever goes up to Arlene first and recites a stupidly in-detail initiation code will be serviced by a lap dance. Why is this important to the story? Wait. So our girls are at the bar and they're talking and drinking. Then comes along Stuntman Mike, he wants to cash in on the lap dance opportunity. Arlene lies to him at first, claiming someone already had been serviced. But he sees through her lies and she ultimately, yes, gives him a lap dance. Well, at the end of the fateful night, Pam (Rose McGowan) needs a ride home, Mike offers, she gets in his car, which, eerily enough, separates the driver's and passenger's seat by a glass wall. It soon becomes clear that Mike is a psychopath, turning away from where Pam was hoping to go, and driving at extreme speeds. She pleads, he kills her. Then our merry group of girls are driving, drunk and singing along to a song blaring on the radio, not noticing Stuntman Mike revving his car right towards them. Story short. They all die as well. How bad on the gore factor? Gruesome.
So we're introduced to another set of women, Zoe Bell as herself, Abernathy Ross (Rosario Dawson), Kim Mathis (Traci Thomas), and more briefly Lee Montgomery (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). This is more like it. These women are awesome. Abernathy is the uptight mothering type who hates that everyone thinks she's no fun. Kim is the excessively cussing badass one who carries a gun. Zoe is a daredevil with no notion of caution or self-care. Lee is well, not the brightest bulb in the tanning bed. They're perhaps all stereotypes but Tarantino likes playing with their conventionality and making them more interesting by turns. Stuntman Mike starts by stalking them and then, when he has the chance, terrorizing them with his mean wheels. But, think again Mike. You messed with the wrong chicks.
By the second half of Death Proof Tarantino had me won over. The first half is kind of perfunctory, as if Tarantino is just biding time until he can get to the really juicy stuff. But that's one half of the film right there. The second half is better-acted, better-written, more suspenseful, and generally all-around more fun. The dialogue picks up, becoming more recognizable to the QT trained ear. These women start to sound like the women of QT's world. Thank god.
The first half is not without its merits. This part of the film is allowed to be the most stylish in its simulation of the poorly filmed Grindhouse style. The film is scratched and blotched to interesting, if not entirely authentic effect. There are some nice performances too. Ferlito brings a needed strength and vulnerability to Arlene. Mike's delving into her pain of not being so thouroughly eyed-at by men gives Ferlito a good chance to be reflexive. She pulls it off surprisingly well. Russell also holds our attention throughout the film. Especially, maybe, in the first half, where he has to appear likable, dangerous, and mysterious, and then suddenly, psychotic, sadistic, and wild.
But the case must be made, this part of the film suffers from poor pacing. There's a lot of gab-gab-gab and the gab isn't even that fresh. One's mind begins to wander. The addition of Quentin Tarantino as the bar owner felt unnecessary. Eli Roth is thrown randomly into the film with no purpose. The film appears to just be gliding along.
But that second half. Oh boy. The performances courtesy of our second batch of women are terrific. Dawson is the stand-out, making Abernathy a sympathetic control-freak trying to let her hair down. When she stated "Fuck that shit. Let's kill this bastard." I couldn't help but grin. Bell is funny and courageous and decidedly a bad decision maker. That look she has when pops up and says "I'm ok!" is priceless. Thomas is wonderfully kickass, a stunt woman who likes living on the edge but also has the sense to realize when doing so is perhaps too dangerous. Winstead is given less of a part and less screen time, but her exchange between a creepy sex-hungry hillbilly is priceless (all she has to say is "Gulp"- we get the picture). The film's style is also apparent. The segment begins in black and white, beautiful in its own right. Then, at an opportune time, we switch to color, a clever choice.
The exchange between the girls at a coffee shop is successful Tarantino dialogue, and I sighed a big sigh of relief. He hadn't lost his touch after all. As always, there are the movie references and the endless profanity. It was wonderful.
When Stuntman Mike decides to play a game with our girls, this is when the films goes into hyper-drive. Zoe has decided to play Ship's Mast, an incredibly misguided stunt of strapping two belts to the sides of a car and sitting on the hood, holding onto dear life, while your friend drives. Guess when Mike decides to make an entry? Well, his game is all that more terrifying because we actually care about Zoe. The scene continues for a while but you're too breathless to notice. Oh god! What are you girls going to do? Well, the answer is, when things start to settle down, to take revenge. Kim has already shot the sadistic driver and they chase after them with their car, treating him to the same torment he put them through. The female revenge plot is awesome and well-planned. Everyone who watches this film wants to see that Bastard die and our heroines kick some misogynistic ass.
The ending is amazing, abrupt but just so well-earned and female empowerment-esque, and self-aware. Tarantino knows the kind of film he's paying homage to. That's why the ending works. It's ridiculous by any standard and awesome by Grindhouse standard.