Hollywood hates movies that poke fun at it. But for some strange reason Hollywood keeps making them. This sort of started with Blake Edwards' SOB. Get Shorty is this type of biting "isn't Hollywood nuts?" type of film, but it's better than that.
This is a beautiful comedy. It builds characters from the very beginning, and it continues this character-building right up to the last shot. Everyone is well defined; we understand why they are what they are.
John Travolta is our focus in this film. Say what you want about Pulp Fiction, but I believe this is the film that really made him a star again. Travolta makes this film work, Whereas in Pulp Fiction he's only a supporting character.
With the exception of Travolta's Chili Palmer role, most of the other parts in this film are supporting roles. Danny DeVito plays the object of Hollywood's desire, but he's not in the film that much, and he doesn't need to be. It's clear the creative team on Get Shorty knew that more does not mean funny. DeVito is on screen just the right amount of time.
I think this tells us why the film works. This is a well-tuned, well-balanced film. Nobody is neglected, and nobody is on screen too long. The writers (Scott Frank for the screenplay and Elmore Leonard for the original novel), as well as the film editor (Jim Miller) should be congratulated for this delicate balance. It's difficult to do, and rarely seen in an American film.
