Director Quentin Tarantino's first full-length feature after 1994's phenomenally successful Pulp Fiction is every bit in the same class as his previous two films, and cements his status as a director of genuine style, intelligence and, in this case, warmth. A more subdued, character-driven affair than Fiction, the film was criticized by some for its generous length, but the superlative cast keeps things afloat. The director's knack for unearthing neglected performers continues: Jackie Brown resurrects Pam Grier, veteran of such venerable blaxsploitation films as Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974), as well as TV staple Robert Forster, who would receive an Academy Award nomination for his work. Tarantino affirms his talents as a scenarist as well, turning in a sparkling update of Elmore Leonard's novel Rum Punch.