Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Review: Quentin Tarantino Gets Sentimental In 60s-Soaked Epic
- naterichard98
- Aug 9, 2019
- 3 min read
DIRECTED BY: QUENTIN TARANTINO STARRING: LEONARDO DiCAPRIO, BRAD PITT, & MARGOT ROBBIE
RATED R FOR LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, SOME STRONG GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, DRUG USE, AND SEXUAL REFERENCES
LENGTH: 161 MINUTES
Quentin Tarantino isn't just one of the most prolific filmmakers working today, he's also one of the most controversial. Critics of his have constantly criticized his films for excessive language and 'glorified violence', despite this the filmmaker has gone on to win two Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay, for his films Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained. When it was revealed that he would be directing a film with the Manson murders as the backdrop (particularly the murder of Sharon Tate) with the film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, many scoffed at the idea, though once the public learned more about the film with it's all-star cast including Hollywood big-weights from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, and Kurt Russell, the public started to ease up to the film and it even garnered the blessing of Tate's sister Debra.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, shows a much different side of Tarantino as a filmmaker than what we're used to. The story is looser, the constant biting dialogue Tarantino typically delivers is dialed back, it's more interested in visual storytelling, and probably the most surprising aspect is that it's actually sentimental. It's a love letter to a golden age in Hollywood, where the love of storytelling was high and the town was filled with dreamers. Hollywood is set in the year 1969 and follows Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), the star of a popular fifties cowboy show called 'Bounty Law', who alongside his stuntman Cliff Booth (Pitt) ventures around LA in search of a way to reinvigorate his career. He also lives next door to two of the most successful people in the business: Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski.
Instead of the self-confident successful man that we've seen DiCaprio play time and time again, his character of Rick Dalton, is insecure, bipolar, has a slight stutter, and yearns to regain the success he once had. This isn't Jordan Belfort, Howard Hughes, or Jay Gatsby, neither is it Hugh Glass or Cobb. It's easily one of the finest performances DiCaprio has ever given. Though the true stand-out of the film is Pitt as Cliff Booth, Rick's stuntman with a hazy past but oozing with a sense of coolness. We never get a full sense of who Cliff really is, though through Pitt's performances and Tarantino's script we get glimpses. He's the heart at the center of the film and gives a performance that could finally win him an Oscar for acting. Robbie may be one of the hottest tickets in Hollywood right now, but her Sharon Tate, doesn't get as much screentime as one would expect, nevertheless despite her limited time, she does enough to leave a lasting impression. Margaret Qualley is another standout as Manson family member Kittycat, who is able to stand on her own ground while sharing the stage with a bigwig like Pitt.
Through Tarantino's direction and writing, the production design, the groovy soundtrack, and cinematography, the audience is really transported to 1969 Los Angeles. The relaxed pacing does feel a little too dragging for the first act, almost to a point where it becomes hard to see where the film is going, the near three hour run time doesn't do the pacing any favors either. Brushing past that, the amount of commitment that Tarantino & co. put to making the film as accurate to the 60s era as possible should hopefully finally land Tarantino an Oscar for directing. The film culminates to a finale, that without spoiling anything, is more than satisfying and possibly has the greatest ending of Tarantino's career.
If Quentin Tarantino really decides to end his directing career with Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, it'd be a hell of a movie to go out on. From it's incredible ensemble, to it's immersive atmosphere, the film is one that likely only get better upon a second and third viewing. For fans of Tarantino and/or the late 60s era of Hollywood, this is not one to miss.
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