Death Proof [2007]
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Actor: Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd, Rose McGowan, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Tracie Thoms, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Zoë Bell, Michael Parks, Quentin Tarantino
Writer: Quentin Tarantino
I had seen so many bad reviews on this film that when I went to see it I was ready to be disappointed. Little did I realise that I was going to see a great, QT-original that had me, at times in stitches or on the edge of my seat. I loved this film, and was very pleasantly surprised. Instead of what I thought I’d get, I got a great film, with a refreshing story, solid acting, a kickin’ soundtrack, fantastic dialogue and a great deal of style and violence. Considering the strong women featured in this film, I agree that this film could be called Resevoir Bitches. :)
.: Act One
This film is roughly divided up in two main acts. The first act shows local radio-celebrity Jungle Julia and her friends going out for a night on the town in Austin, Texas with her friends. After a night of heavy drinking they make the aquaintance of Stuntman Mike (Russell), a washed up stuntman who specialised in car-stunts back in the old days. Stuntman Mike drives a muscle-car, which he explains is “Death Proof,” meaning that it’s been gutted – every dangerous and unnecessary object removed from the car – outfitted with a roll-cage, and reinforced every which way, giving a stuntman the best chances of surviving whatever stunt he might use the car for. Stuntman Mike is following Jungle Julia and her friends around, and for reasons that are never explained, he doesn’t seem to have anything good planned for them.
.: Act Two
Lebanon, Tennesee; Abernathy (Dawson), a Hollywood make-up artist, has a few days off from the movie she’s working on together with her friends (two stuntwomen and an actrice) and they decide to party hard and go wild. Zoë (Bell), one of the two stuntwomen is from New Zeeland and has decided that now she’s in the U.S. she wants to drive a muscle-car. She finds the perfect car for sale in the area and goes for a test-drive together with the girls. While in the middle of doing some crazy stunts with the car, Stuntman Mike shows up and decides to harass them, but quickly finds himself seriously challenged by the women. What follows is a crazy, fantastic car-chase that’s really worth it!
I’d like to make special mention of Zoë Bell, playing herself. Zoë is the woman who was the stand-in for Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. She’s so fantastic in the second act that I’ve declared her the sexiest woman in Death Proof. :)