User reviews

With at least 12 `starring actors' in character and supporting rolls, half of them legends or mega stars; this Tarantino tale defies a short review. The different levels on which this movie works are impressive. As a love story we begin to believe that the quirky `loser' couple is unconditionally bound together. As a pseudo `film noir' we begin to care about the fate of the central characters. In the suspense/thriller/crime drama mode there are plenty twists and turns to push us to the edge and pull us back just in time. The action scenes are deliciously violent and unlike most other films, this one gives us pinches of humor sprinkled in amidst the mayhem. Even `the King' alter ego is woven in credibly enough to improve our understanding of the Clarence Worley character.

The plot, albeit original, fresh and mesmerizing, seems somehow secondary to the characters and the characterizations. Any of several rolls could have been performed over the top by what seemed to be an ensemble cast. But director Scott lets the talent go just far enough. Even the remainder of the supporting cast is wonderful; Saul Rubinek in particular does a terrific job as the puffed-up/ego-feeding movie producer. Hollywood missed giving this movie and its cast proper recognition.

With enough memorable scenes and talented stars to fuel a half a dozen blockbusters, True Romance gives us the `best bang for our buck' in years. The Walken/Hopper scene alone is worth the `price of admission' not to mention the Gandolfini/Arquette and Slater/Oldman match ups. This can only be described as a `wonderfully wicked movie' for its tantalizing content, smart dialog and toothsome violence.

Put the kiddies to bed, be prepared for rough language, adult themes and graphic violence and enjoy a `not for the faint of heart' masterpiece.

Sometimes there are classics that one missed, even when almost everyone at the time watched them. This is one of them for me. How I didn't see this movie in the cinemas in the early 90s when I was going to the movies every week is a mystery to me, even moreso that I never saw it on VHS or TV, when it's a very famous film with some big names on both sides of the camera. Fortunately, I could rectify this mistake watching it last week in its new 4K HDR restored version projected on a big screen, and oh, boy! What a movie this one is! The 90s were the decade most obsessed with coolness since the 30s and few films lived up to be really cool then and even less now, but this early script by Tarantino and Avary (the wonderful couple) with the stylist direction of the superb Tony Scott, the brilliant soundtrack by Hans Zimmer and an unbelievable cast that throws big names without stop, not only in the leads but in every little role (including a young and powerful James Gandolfini), is one of the coolest movies of the decade and a truly deserving classic.

"True Romance" is one of those few movies that has it all: Action, romance, drama and brilliant acting. Not to mention TR has an all-star cast, but many contribute their finest work in this film. Oldman, Arquette and Slater arguably give their best performances. Christopher Walken's scene is nothing short of pure brilliance. I loved him in "The Dead Zone" and "The Deer Hunter" as well as his brief appearance in "Pulp". I was happy with the ending, and I'm glad it ended the way it did. We've come to not expect that type of ending anymore. This along with numerous other reasons too long to explain here is why I truly believe "True Romance" is one of the greatest films ever made. Period.

Have to give this 10/10 because it's still my Number one film now after having first seen it nearly twenty years ago. I love every second of it. From the dialogue to the stellar cast and everything in between. It just feels like my movie and I think it always will be.

True Romance is the work of two men, known for making movies (as TBS would say) for guys who like movies, and have one of the pick of the litter in the genre from the early to mid nineties. Quentin Tarantino sold his script to fund Reservoir Dogs, and Tony Scott (Top Gun) got picked up to direct. Some have complained that Tarantino should've directed this film, that it's so much his (which I agree with considering the story of the film was taken from his 1987 experimental film My Best Friend's Birthday, which refers to Clarence in this film going to the Sonny Chiba movies) that his own style as a director would've complimented it. It's a nice thought, though that's not what we as the audience are left with, and so with the final product there is much to admire about the style that Scott uses in the film. He films Tarantino's script (from a Roger Avary script originally) very much like he's shooting a Hollywood movie (as he knows how to with DP Jeffrey Kimball), with all the cut-aways and editing timing that is expected in a conventional crime-drama-thriller, then by hearing the snapping dialog from the script, and the cast performing them, Scott does become an important piece of making True Romance a success.

The story is a throwback to the old 'lovers on the run' formula, among others- Clarence (Christian Slater in one of his finest) is an employee in a comic book store in Detroit, loves kung-fu movies and big guns and such, who gets set up unwittingly with a call girl named Alabama (Patricia Arquette). The two fall in love, and Clarence feels confident enough by a certain voice in the back of his head (provided by Val Kilmer) to go and free Alabama for good from her vile pimp and drug dealer Drexl (Gary Oldman in one of the better villain roles of the time). He does, and through a couple of accidents Clarence and Alabama wind up with millions worth in cocaine, and high-tail it to LA to sell it, as the original (mob) owners of the coke follow after, with explosive results.

For fans of the actors, in particular the supporting cast, True Romance is one of the treats of treats in modern movies, on par with Pulp Fiction's roster of know-ables: Christopher Walken as a gangster (who would've thought?), Brad Pitt as a stoner roommate, Tom Sizemore and Chris Penn as cops, a few good lines for Samuel L. Jackson, an early plum for James Gandolfini, and my personal favorite of the lot, Dennis Hopper as Clarence's ex-cop father. Another thing that makes True Romance one of the (dare I say) most accessible of Tarantino's works is that a viewer who might not know this is his work on first viewing (this was me a few years ago, sad to say) will stay tuned through the whole thing if it's on TV just because of the star power; indeed, before Oldman's Detrix is introduced into the film, TR seems to flow like it'll be a romantic drama with light overtones. All I can say is by the end of this film, you will see that good taste can prevail no matter how much bloodshed gets on the screen, or how many obstacles get in the way of love (and Elvis!).

I know this is the most unhelpful review but if you can take anything from my single-minded judgement, Its my one and only cast of the die. Beat it, I dare you...

I've seen Reservoir Dogs, I've seen Pulp Fiction & I've seen Jackie Brown, but for me this is Tarantino's best crime caper. Completely engrossing from start to finish, the story of the two lovers who are on the run is not entirely believable, but seriously enjoyable. You get your fill of guns, sex, style and pop-culture, and the usual array of celebrity cameos in a film that seems a whole lot more 'close'. Whereas Pulp Fiction felt like one long trailer, with every line razor-sharp and a load of hip music that made the film go so quickly, True Romance offers you the chance to savour every moment, as the film moves at a (slightly) slower pace. Enjoy the blazing finale, and just wonder how it might have turned out if Tarantino had got his hands on the camera...

Simply put, this is the best movie that has ever been made.

Christian Slater gives an amazing performance as Clarence, so too does Patricia Arquette as Alabama.

Through out the movie, there are epic individual battles between Slater & Gary Oldman. Christopher Walken & Dennis Hopper. The late James Gandolfini(RIP) & Arquette, not to mention the epic finale to this masterpiece. And the awesome short scenes between Slater & Val Kilmer, who plays Slater's imaginary friend, who is none other than the King himself, Elvis Presley.

I am giving nothing away as it would be an injustice to anyone that has not seen it, my advice is, go watch this movie immediately. I swear that you will not regret it.

Easily the easiest 10 out of 10 there has ever been.

True Romance is obscure film. Film was unfortunate to come at the time in which huge blockbusters and award winning film were slowly coming to screen, there of it was forgotten. All people to who I recommended this film never heard about it, and when they saw it, they only have one word: SUPERB! Tarantino who decided to split Natural born killers and True Romance scripts (which ere basically same script ) made terrifying job at it, but real star behind film is late Tony Scott. Without a doubt, this is best film Scott has ever made, and that can be seen in whole film, from cast to score and even ending which is best thing that Scott decided to do, despite Tarantino's wishes, but even Tarantino himself was pleased at the end of it. Scott gave himself into the film and created cult masterpiece that will never be forgotten. Cast is terrifying. Cristian Slater before he become second rate actor and Patricia Arquete had believable chemistry on screen which made whole film. Supporting cast including Gary Oldman ( In his best role ever put to screen), Christopher Walken, James Gandolfini, Denis Hopper not to mention others, made beautiful ensemble cast which was not very well known at the time, but today, they are all first class actors. I could write about this film for hours, but in the end I can only say that watch this film and enjoy one of best films ever made. Live fast, die young, be a ice looking corpse!

I hesitated to watch this movie because I could not vision it being a crime movie with the name of "True Romance." I am so glad I decided to watch it through to the end. It had enough switches and surprises to make you want it not to end. Once you get hooked, you cannot let it go. I really liked it because the way it developed and did not make you want to stop watching. Great flick and you can tell it is a Quentin Tarantino movie. With the touch of Tony Scott it is a perfect 10.

possibly my favourite film of all time, this truly does live up to its title and presents in my mind one of the truest romances there can ever be, fictional or otherwise.

superb acting, superb directing, superb scriptwriting and possibly the best cameo ever by Samuel L Jackson to cap it off. i don't think that this film could be any improved in anyway whatsoever, even if it had an unlimited stream of cash and all actor/actress available.

just a truly spectacular piece of film making and the reason why i love movies so much...i have a rule that no one can leave my house unless they watch this film beforehand, it is truly one of the greats and anyone who doesn't watch it is severely missing out

Watched this for the first time last night and it's one of the greatest movies I've ever seen. You can tell it was written by Quentin Tarantino and if you didn't know otherwise you'd think it was directed by him too. Every character is brilliantly portrayed. Even supporting actors that only have minimal screen time such as Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper and Gary Oldman give very memorable performances and have some of the best scenes in the film. Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette both give Oscar worthy performances in their lead roles. True Romance has the perfect mix of great dialogue, romance, action and strong violence. Without spoiling the ending, what I really wanted from this film was a satisfying ending and it delivered %100. Some scenes will have you laughing out loud while others while have you on the edge of your seat with tension. I don't really see the point of casting Brad Pitt in such a small and unimportant role when any actor could of filled the role but this in no way hinders the enjoyment of the film. The film also has a great soundtrack which I listened to straight after I'd finished and has a good mix of different genre's. True Romance is an astoundingly exciting film and would probably be best enjoyed by fans of Tarantino but I would recommend this film to anyone. Give this film a watch ASAP.

True Romance is one of those films where everything just seem to be in the right place at the right time with absolutely no exception. From the soundtrack to the filmography to the production and, quite exemplary the all star at their absolute best. It has everything you want for a film, it's action packed, funny, violent, tense, endearing, and just a rollercoaster ride you will want to ride again and again. I will not give anything away as it would be wrong to do so, but it would be criminal not to mention quite arguably the greatest scene in film history and believe me, this is not an a exaggeration. The scene between Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper is one that is so convincing and executed it is like watching a work of art come to life. I honestly thought it was improvised but only the end of it is, which is a real testament to the talent of both superb actors. I believe this to be Tarantinos finest screenplay and the late Tony Scott's greatest work. Please, sit back and watch a classic for the ages

Sure, purely talking cinema, True Romance isn't the most perfect film ever made (it's not boring enough for that). But, when it comes to entertainment values and coolness, this motion picture yet has to find an equal. Any first viewing of True Romance will literally blow you away and repeated viewing will only prove that this is one mean, addictive film. Through the years, True Romance built up quite a status and it's immensely popular. Still, too often it's categorized as worthless violence and therefore I'll introduce to you 10 reasons why this film is just brilliant!

1. True Romance was the first screenplay written by Quentin Tarantino…Now, it's unquestionable that Tarantino is one of the most gifted writers in cinema ever and this first work of his excellently reflects his enthusiasm and talent. The protagonist – Clarence Worley – has a lot in common with Quentin's own personality and because of this; True Romance actually looks like one giant daydream/fantasy of an imaginative adolescent.

2. The choice of Tony Scott as the director. Unlike Oliver Stone in Natural Born Killers, Scott didn't feel the need to oppress his own visual style in True Romance. Yet, he adds a little more flair than QT would himself, so what you get is some sort of explosive crossover between Reservoir Dogs and Top Gun.

3. The all-star Cast!!!! Man, would you look at that cast! Some of Hollywood's best performers of every generation are there. Some of them only have miniscule roles but their presence is an extra added value, anyway. Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, James Gandolfini, Brad Pitt, Michael Rapaport, Bronson Pinchot, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Penn, Tom Sizemore, Victor Argo…

4. Every single personality in True Romance is adorably eccentric and worth analyzing. Clarence and Alabama are the 'good guys', yet they're pretty messed up in their heads themselves. Basically, every person in this film is a self-centered weirdo driven by mad thoughts and insanity. As a result of this, superb and colorful dialogues are overwhelming you. Excellent, first-class quote material.

5. The romantic on screen chemistry between Clarence and Alabama…Even though the plot may seem extremely illogical and far-fetched, the love and devotion between these two feels sincere and intense. Their interactions and sexual escapades increase the viewer's involvement.

6. That one particular sequence… Fans certainly will know what I'm talking about now! A tour-de-force between two of the talented actors ever, resulting in a breath-taking climax. Walken and Hopper's acting almost burns holes in your TV-screen and you can almost feel the cigarette smoke prickling in your eyes. Guided by chilling classical music and shot beyond perfection, this surely is one of most intense sequences ever caught on tape.

7. The trivia elements and references towards other films. QT is an absolute film geek and he terrifically inserts his passion in his script. In many of the dialogues, the characters (Clarence in particular) constantly refer to cinema milestones like Rio Bravo, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Dr. Zhivago. True Romance also is one giant tribute to the King of Rock 'n Roll himself as Clarence is a dedicated Elvis admirer.

8. The Soundtrack! Tarantino films always have blasting soundtracks and True Romance isn't an exception. The main theme is a brilliant instrumental song by Hans Zimmer while the rest of the soundtrack mixes classic oldies and modern songs.

9. The coolness! Simply put…this just is one cool motion picture. Clarence Worley is cool! He drives a purple Cadillac, wears giant sunglasses and eats hamburgers right after killing a guy. That is COOL! The love of his life is equally cool. She's like the perfect woman who likes Kung-Fu movies, dresses sexy and really knows how to defend herself. When asked where to meet discretely, she playfully answers: 'in the roller coaster!' and that, my friend, is cool.

10. The violence! Last but certainly not least…aren't we all a little excited to see massive, grotesque violence? Qua violence, True Romance definitely overtrumps your wickedest expectations. The film contains multiple memorable action sequences and, just when you think you've seen it all, there comes the grand finale! The final sequence is one major adrenalin-rushing shootout, leaving very few to the imagination. Fascinatingly photographed and fun to see.

There you go… In case you haven't seen True Romance yet, I have no idea what else would convince you to see it. Changes are high this will be one of your personal favorites, for sure. There only is one little turnoff I should mention. True Romance recently got released on Special (double disc) Millennium edition but that was quite a disappointment. The extras don't really feature anything special. I was hoping to see some deleted scenes or something, but there only is a B-roll documentary and a couple of short interviews.

QT wrote this film and it was directed by Tony "Ridley's Little Brother" Scott and it is, quite simply, a masterpiece. A violent masterpiece, yes, but a masterpiece nonetheless. Christian Slater must look back on this film with a sense of longing because he has not been given as good a project since (Churchill: The Hollywood Years, anyone?).

Patricia Arquette is as cute as anything and perfectly fits her role. Call me crazy, but she really seems to be enjoying playing the "hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold". In fact, everyone seems to be loving the hell out of a superb script. The scene between Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken is one of cinemas greatest ever scenes! The famously egotistical Val Kilmer goes almost unseen as Elvis - sorry, The Mentor - and Brad Pitts now-famous Cleaning Products line was a brilliant ad-lib. Gary Oldman as the white-rasta Drexl is the epitome of nastiness. Even Samuel L Jackson gets a high billing in the credits, but is in the film for less than 5 minutes! Genius. By the way, check out the DVD extended/deleted scene scenes for a longer discussion on cunnilingus. It's hilarious.

All in all, this is a collection of brilliantly written scenes, filled with memorable quotes and held together by a sweet, believable and totally mad storyline with a better-than-A-list-cast. Even the tragically underused Ed Lauter gets a look-in. Tom Sizemore and Chris Penn excel as the cops on the trail. The weakest point is Bronson Pinchot, but even he keeps pace well.

My only regret is that QT didn't direct it himself. Scott did an EXCELLENT job, but I would like to see QT's version.

QT to remake True Romance and Natural Born Killers: The pressure-campaign starts here!

10 1/2 out of 10!

No pun intended - and if you either have not seen the movie or it has been a while - you not be familiar with the quote I am using here. But all credit to the movie and Quentin plus Tony Scott. QT obviously for writing the movie, that feels quite autobiographical - and I would have written that even without hearing him say it himself on the extras of the disc release I own. And much praise to Tony Scott too ... the script was tight, but what he made out of it ... and the cast he was able to assemble ... mind blowing is not doing it justice.

Even smaller roles are filled with great actors ... Samuell L. Jackson having his first (short) appearance in a Quentin attached project. Gary Oldman being as evil as one can get - with a phenomenal accent. Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, James Gandolfini and so many more ... it is a bit like a who is who. I had forgotten how much screen time Brad Pitt had in this. I thought it was just one scene.

This is a dream come true for a generation. Not just the movies that are referenced (John Woo, Sonny Chiba and so many more just visually or in the background on screens, big and small), but our "romantic duo". We never forget that this is a movie. We may dream to be able to do what the two main characters are able to do in their journey ... but we would never dare to do the stuff they do.

The musical theme of our duo ... it is just amazing. Once you hear it you will know what is up. And then you have the dialog - the sicilian scene. Which apart from one little ad lib was written exactly like it is performed. Of course the performance takes it to a whole new level. Interesting back story on that piece of dialog in the audio commentary by QT himself. Who admit that he didn't like the ending Tony Scott was aiming at. I am glad Scott was able to box his ending through ... but if you are curious the other (original) ending is on the disc too.

The disc also contains deleted/extended scenes ... one of which has a young Jack Black in it ... amazing what a great hand they had in casting ... that they were able to cut him out and still have this awesome group of people.

The movie is fast paced, but never loses us. Even if Christian Slater had some issues with some banter (screaming) he had in a back and forth with Patricias character. But it makes sense - within their new relationship they have ... and within the scene and the movie. Alabama and Clarence - names one probably will not forget once seen and heard.

There's so much goodness here - I probably am forgetting half of it. Like all the names of the actors - I could write so many things on every single scene. Many of which could be axed - and the movie still would make sense. There are things in this we do not need for the movie, the plot to move forward ... and yet those scenes make the movie what it is ... make it as awesome as it is. Do we need to know Rappaports struggle to become an actor? Not really - but it makes everything so much better for it ... you could boil it down and make fun of the characters ... but if you would do that, you would be making fun of a whole generation. And their dreams/fantasy ... let us dream, let us be entertained. Let art inspire us and be the escape it needs to be - yes pun intended.

Edit: I did forget to mention one big cameo. Elvis - or the Mentor as he is being billed in the credits. Played by none other than Val Kilmer. And another example of the zeitgeist of the movie - of how connected it is with the people it is trying to reach. It may not have made a dent at the box office (at least not in America, UK being a completely different beast), but it has gathered quite the cult following ... and quite deservedly so. It is not for the faint hearted and best watched in the Directors cut. A movie that has many memorable scenes (the mentioned Sicilian scene being the topping) - something other movies can only dream of ...

This is probably the greatest movie I've ever watched and I've seen a LOT of movies!!! I am not a film reviewer, but felt compelled to review this one... also this film has a bit of an Elvis/Kungfu theme and I HATE Elvis and kungfu, which is even more of a testament to this film! Quentin Tarrentino at his finest, we all loved pulp fiction, but in my opinion this film is far greater!!!! The casting is phenomenal, the acting is superior and the music just blows me away! When the film kicks in Patricia Arquette is narrating the intro and it's like poetry! This film will move you! This film has everything! It's funny, sad, dramatic, dark, twisted and clever I gave this move 10/10, my favourite film being the Godfather it should definitely be up there in the top 100 IMDb films! The Dennis hopper / Christopher walken part is a real treat the scripting and acting is out of this world, in fact there is something likable about all the characters in this movie I don't know how Tarrantino does it!!

Clarence (Christian Slater) is a fanatical elvis fan. So fanatical that he thinks Elvis talks to him. He lives an ordinary life in a pop culture store until the night he stumbles upon and falls in love with call girl Alabama (Patricia Arquette). When Clarence confronts Alabama's pimp drexel (Gary Oldman) a psychopathic gangster. His life takes a turn. He finds himself in situation between the mob, the police and drugs.

This is 1 of many of my all time favourite movies. The screenplay was written by Quentin Tarantino and sold to Tony Scott to fund Pupl Fiction. With Tony Scott's glossed direction and camera work and Tarantino's story we have an amazingly fun ride. Great performances from the cast and Arquette is just stunning (to look at too) as Alabama. A must see for Tarantino fans!! Classic!!

Wow this movie has it all. Great performance by Lawrence Mason

This film has to be one of the best films that came out in the 1990's. It has everything an audience could ask for; murder, action, romance, sex, comedy, drama and a great story behind it!

Quite possibly my new favorite (written-by) Quintin Tarintino film. I can't actually tell you what the film is about without ruining it, but let's just say, it's excellent. It's not a chick flick or a guy movie, it's a little bit of both...but enough of each so that everyone can enjoy.

I'm really excited about this film, because it's so cleverly written, with quite a bit of honesty and reality thrown into it, that you can enjoy it without getting frustrated from the unrealisticness of some parts, or the intensity of some of the other scenes.

The acting was outstanding, and let's face it Christian Slater is not too ugly to watch in a movie, and Patricia Arquette's breasts had top billing above her name I think. But, she herself was amazing. I don't know if she was nominated for this role, but she should have been, because she was excellent. Probably the best character and actor in the whole movie. A lot stars are in this before they were "stars" including; Brad Pitt, Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Michael Rappaport, Bronson Pinchot, and James Gandalfini.

I recommend this film to everyone! It's an awesome movie, but mind the rating. It's rated the way it is for a reason. There is some violence and some nudity and sexual content that might not be suitable for some.

I hope everyone takes a look...I'm adding it to my collection!

The film was written by Quentin Tarantino, and it really shows with the sharp dialogue and crazy plot. The film centres around Clarence (Christian Slater) who meets and marries Alabama (Patricia Arquette). After Clarence goes to get Alabama's belongings, through a series of mishaps, he ends up with suitcase of coke and they decide to sell it. This leads to a wild adventure involving drug dealers, police and movie executives.

The casting in this film is amazing with Hollywood greats turning up and each one adds something special to the film. But by far the best performance is by Brad Pitt as the roommate of Clarence's friend Dick. He is on screen for a total of about 5 minutes but steals every scene he is in. However every one of the characters in the film brings something special. The performances by Hollywood greats, including Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken and Gary Oldman all come so close to being over the top, but the incredible script and brilliant directing manage to hold back just enough to stop it going too far.

This film is a true masterpiece where everything just falls in to place. The film is not for the faint of heart though. There are very graphic scenes of violence. One particular scene involving a woman getting severely beaten. The perpetrator definitely gets his comeuppance though. While the violence is very graphic, as with most of Tarantino's films, it is very bloody but also portrayed in a realistic manor. This adds to the shock and also to bring you closer to the victims.

I cannot praise this film enough. It is one of the greats that has been overlooked by many including Hollywood. Almost all of the performances are worthy of Oscar nomination, as with the script. But this film was overlooked by all the major awards.

If you are a fan of Tarantino films, or films with a good cast and great story give this film a try. I know people that hate this film, but I know far more that love it.