Certificate: 18
Running time: 161 minutes
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
The story: In 1969, fading television star Rick Dalton and his stunt double Cliff Booth are attempting to revive their careers in a Hollywood they no longer recognise. Meanwhile next door neighbour Sharon Tate is enjoying everything Hollywood has to offer.Firstly Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is beautiful. It’s well shot and crisp in its rich colour palette of a 1969 Los Angeles. You would certainly be hard pressed to find any flaws with the cinematography. The same can be said for the performances. Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt both play anti-heroes, characters who are inherently flawed and morally questionable in their own ways and yet you cannot help but like both of them. This is a testament to both actors’ acting abilities and their charisma. The partnership between DiCaprio and Pitt is also brilliant and their chemistry is great - it’s awesome seeing these two actors together. Margot Robbie is also wonderful as Sharon Tate. Though she doesn’t have as much to do as DiCaprio and Pitt, when she is onscreen she shines as a woman who appears to embrace and enjoy everything she does. I particularly loved one scene where she watches herself in the cinema, filled with joy as she watches the audience around her laughing.
I think where most of the divisiveness for the film has probably come from is in regards to the story/plot or as some might say, the lack of a story/plot. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is not an action packed film with lots going on. In fact a lot of the scenes may feel superfluous to many audiences - they follow Rick and Cliff but often Rick and Cliff aren’t necessarily doing much. For example, there are quite a few shots of driving or dialogue heavy scenes that don’t necessarily advance the plot in any way. When you bear these scenes in mind, it makes the running time slightly frustrating. However, whilst I will freely admit that I wasn’t always one hundred percent engaged, I have since realised that I didn’t mind these scenes. What is so great about Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is that it’s simply a snippet of time taken from the lives of some people. It’s not about creating a story out of their lives but simply showing the day to day minutiae of what they were doing and how Hollywood was changing at that time. Films don’t have to justify themselves by being ‘stories’ as such in the traditional sense. And Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is almost like a love letter to the old Hollywood, with many scenes being a throwback to ‘the good old days.’
But fear not, there are definitely some outrageous scenes and this is when Once Upon A Time In Hollywood feels at its most Tarantino-esque. It’s hard not to get caught up in the excessive and violent way that Tarantino displays his filmmaking - you cannot help but love these crazy and brutal scenes. Whether you shudder or laugh - these are the scenes that certainly evoke the biggest reactions.
What I loved most about this film though is actually something that it is pretty hard to discuss without giving away spoilers. As Tarantino also worked hard to keep this a secret from audiences, then I certainly don’t want to give anything away. All I guess I can say is that I can really appreciate a film in which the director puts their own mark on it and the way Tarantino did this with this film really impressed me.
Overall, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is not without its flaws - the pacing is varied meaning some parts dragged and others whizzed by and the story is sometimes less engaging and disjointed. However, the performances and the utter ballsy filmmaking of Tarantino basically making the film he wanted means that I can overlook the flaws and appreciate the film much more.
The rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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