True Romance is not your average love story. Written by Quentin Tarantino this non-stop drama has all the classic dialogue and over the top coolness that you would expect from him. Clarence Worley (Christian Slater) is a lonely kung fu movie loving, comic reading, Elvis fanatic that falls for local Detroit call girl Alabama Whitman (Patricia Arquette). While trying to retrieve Alabama’s things from her pimp Drexl (Gary Oldman), Clarence accidentally steals a suitcase full of cocaine. The movie then kicks it into high gear as Clarence and Alabama try to make their fortune by unloading the stolen goods in Hollywood while the mafia tries to track them down.
The movie has an all-star cast including screen gems like Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Michael Rapaport, and even a brief cameo from Samuel L. Jackson. The plot, while somewhat unbelievable, is intoxicating and completely entertaining. Tarantino loves to do things big, and this movie is no different. With hookers, drugs, guns, pimps, mafia, Hollywood, and cops to boot True Romance pushes the envelope on what you think a love story really is. With most of the early action taking place in a winterized Detroit, the desolate scene makes an even odder atmosphere for romance. The relationship between Clarence and Alabama is strange, but in a very cute way. In a sense, the vast contrast in atmosphere brings out an amazing quality to their love, showing that no matter how much violence and drugs you can pack into a movie, the undying commitment they have for each other still shines through as the defining emotion of the film.
While True Romance is a great (and largely underrated) film, it may not be the best date film. There is a lot of violence and gritty drama in the film that doesn’t really promote the traditional “lovey dovey” dating mood. There is some great romance in the film with Clarence and Alabama’s relationship being a sweet (but very weird) tale of two lost souls that find each other and hold on for dear life. So while not your normal date movie, it’s a must see for just about any other occasion.
