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Topics: Quentin Tarantino, Film and TV, Celebrity
Katherine Sidnell
Topics: Quentin Tarantino, Film and TV, Celebrity
Quentin Tarantino is breaking a longstanding tradition with his final film, The Movie Critic.
The Jackie Brown director announced he would be retiring in 2021, with the upcoming period drama being his final feature film.
However, the veteran filmmaker doesn’t intend to go out quietly and intends to flip the script as he pays tribute to a real-life critic.
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Fans of the Dusk Till Dawn director had speculated that he’d had drawn inspiration from legendary critic, Pauline Kael – whom he’s rumoured to have admired.
Having spent over thirty years writing for The New Yorker, Kael was famous for not mincing her words and regularly fighting with filmmakers and editors.
When reviewing Pulp Fiction for the first time, she infamously said that Tarantino was ‘certainly talented’ but that it was ‘too early to say if there's any depth to the talent’. (Ouch!)
However, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood director has denied this, and said that the film is based on another male film critic.
During the 60-year-old’s book tour, Cinema Speculation, he told press: “There is a lot of speculation as to who it is based on. And yes, he is a real critic, but he is not known… and I am not going to tell you more.”
Yet, the critic did reveal one key detail: The Movie Critic will not be about revenge.
This will be a big departure from his other films, all of which contains some sort of revenge - apart from his 1997 flick, Jackie Brown. (Spoilers ahead, duh)
In Inglourious B***erds, Lieutenant Raine (Brad Pitt) seeks revenge against the villainous Hans Landa (Christopher Waltz) and brands him in the film’s final act.
Likewise in Kill Bill, the Bride (Uma Thurman) seeks vengeance over the death of her unborn baby and fiancé.
Even lesser-known films like Death Proof see a crew of deadly women attempt to kill serial killer, Stuntman Mile (Kurt Russell), after he preys on young girls.
However, Tarantino’s film will not be a revenge narrative and will instead follow the true-life story of the unnamed critic.
The director confirmed this, saying the upcoming movie might not be what you’d call a ‘revenge story’.
Tarantino also reiterated that the film would be his last during an interview with Bill Maher.
When asked why he was quitting at the top of his game, he sharply responded: That's why I want to quit…I know film history and from here on end, directors do not get better.”