"So What's this Movie Even About?"

"A royale with cheese."

The title of this post was a question asked to me by my sister when I told her I was watching Pulp Fiction. I responded that I honestly didn't know. Even now after having seen the film I'm still not really sure. I did like it though. More than anything I think it intrigued me. It was interesting and different. It is most definitely one of those films you need to see more than once.
I loved the non-linear narrative. I love films with non-linear narratives in general because despite the fact that they are less realistic than linear films, they give your brain more to do while watching the film. I love the ahh-haa moment that comes when some of the pieces fall together, like when Vince and Jules were getting hosed off and I remembered them wearing the dorky clothes earlier in the film. I love that feeling because you feel like you're in on the joke, part of this secret club the director is trying to create.
I could draw a timeline and try to figure out the order of everything like I did after Inception, but frankly I don't care. And the film's been out long enough that I'm sure I could find out anything I wanted to know online. Part of me does not want to write it down, to put it together-I don't think that is the point. The film managed to be coherent, entertaining as hell, and funny, all while out of order. That is the point. It does not matter what comes first. It was a definite new step in film making and a bold one at that.
I think what I like about directors like Quentin Tarantino is that they do not underestimate the intelligence of their viewers. So many of my blog posts have lambasted directors and the fact that they do not give their audiences enough credit. That is why I like men like Tarantino and Nolan and Fincher; they give you a film and let you make of it what you will. They don't care if you 'get it' or not. They set out to make films the way they want to make them, end of story.
I want to say that I think I like Reservoir Dogs better (blasphemy, I know), but I also think it is too early to tell. I think there is so much I did not get with only one viewing so for now I will reserve judgement. I'm not even going to give it a rating.
End Notes:
-What ever happened to Uma Thurman? I feel like she dropped off the face of the earth...
-I love Tim Roth. Really I do. He is so good at being crazy and funny and cool all at the same time. I really looked forward to him popping up in the film.
-Why is it called Pulp Fiction? Maybe I missed something, but could someone please explain it to me?