The truth of it is that I love crime movies, but really strongly didn't like Reservoir Dogs. Its one of the slowest moving films ever, and that slow buildup doesn't pay off. It's only redeeming feature is that Steve Buscemi added some of his usual goofiness. Along these lines, I have a few questions for you movie goers out there:
1. Do you really like Quentin Tarantino films? Pulp Fiction had some wackiness I enjoyed, but so much of his films are so crazy over the top, that I just don't get it. I watched the first 5 minutes of Kill Bill and couldn't take any more of it. Django - can't do it. I just can't bring myself to watch any more of his unabashed sensationalistic in your face chaos, for no other reason that he is willing to do it. Just violence fore the sake of violence, and cursing for the sake of cursing. That is ham-handed story telling by someone without a deft touch or any cleverness about them. To me, his cinema is sorriness. I know he is critically acclaimed, but everyone who makes movies is critically acclaimed by someone otherwise they wouldn't get the budgets to do these things. Part B of this question: can you guess where I stand on his films? ;-)
2. Do you really enjoy Harvey Keitel's roles in movies? In Reservoir Dogs, I don't think he brings anything. In Pulp Fiction, he obviously portrays a character that is about as seedy an underworld character that could exist, and since bombastic behavior like his was peppered throughout the movie, rather than non-stop, it made his antics more compelling, but I'm not sure if that's just because of the crazy character or because of his acting skills. I would think anyone would make that a signature role. Being famous for showing your private parts on film is hardly a heralded acting credential.