With all the movies I am watching, it’s good to once in a while see something from the wishlist. Today I saw “Killing Zoe“. I think I put it on the wishlist because of Quenting Tarantino being one of executive producers while Roger Avary was a writer and a director of the film. Roger and Tarantino worked together on several films – “Reservoir Dogs” in 1992, “True Romance” in 1993, and “Pulp Fiction” in 1994. All four movies are crime actions with drama and a touch of romance (maybe no romance for the Dogs). “Killing Zoe” is the weakest of four films, but it shows, together with the other movies, what ideas were floating in the heads of Tarantino and his comrads at that times.
If I were to point out few interesting bits about this film, I would pick the fact that the events in the movie are happening in Europe (Paris, France to be precise) as opposed to the traditional USA setup. Also, drugs play an important role in this film. And taking drugs is covered specially. I think this movie was a playground for the famous drug scenes in “Pulp Fiction“. And yet another interesting approach was to show that opening a bank vault is indeed a difficult task that requires expertise, skills, equipment, and time. There are not that many movies who remind us of that. There are, though, a number of usual attibutes of a crime movie – criminals, hostages, guns, lots and lots of swear words and blood.
I think that the film could use some character development. There are many people in it, but only three main ones get enough attention. Maybe it was intentional, maybe it wasn’t – I couldn’t figure.
I liked the acting. It was very realistic and lively. I don’t know how to properly describe it. Basically, not even once I was reminded that these people are actually acting. Good dialogues, or, rather, monologues helped that.
Anyway, the film, as standalone, is somewhat average crime action. You won’t lose anything if you will miss it, but you won’t regret if you will watch it. Decide for yourself. As a part of Tarantino/Avary and Co work it is a missing bit that puts light on the progress they were making. I found it interesting, educating, and entertaining.
Firm 6 out of 10.