Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood Movie Review
Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood is the latest movie from director Quentin Tarantino. Its release has prompted many lists ranking each Tarantino film and trying to decide which is his best. I don’t have a list like that because I haven’t seen every Tarantino film. There are a lot of Tarantino die-hards but I am not one of them. I’ve enjoyed many of his films and have been very bored by some.
Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood appealed to me initially because it paired Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt together. They are actors who I like very much individually and who I thought would be a good pair on screen. I was correct. DiCaprio plays Rick Dalton an aging Hollywood actor, most well known for being a cowboy. Pitt plays Cliff Booth, his stunt double. Their chemistry is magnificent and each of their performances is noteworthy. I was particularly impressed by Pitt’s performance. There has been a lot of buzz wondering if this is the role that will win him the elusive Oscar. As of right now, I think he should be considered for a nomination at least.
Aside from Pitt and DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood was enjoyable because of the time period. It’s set in the late 1960’s at the end of Hollywood’s Golden Era. Tarantino intersperses real people like Sharon Tate, Roman Polanski, Jay Sebring, the Manson Family, and Bruce Lee with his fictional ones Rick and Cliff. If you like the Golden Age of Hollywood or Hollywood’s history, you will like that aspect of this movie and its nostalgia. The set design is amazing and I loved getting to see a recreation of old time Hollywood.
That being said, the movie is very slow moving. It’s a long one at two hours and forty-one minutes and the first half of the movie felt long. It’s a slow pace, focusing more on little moments that don’t mean too much in the grand scheme of things. I genuinely liked Cliff and Rick but the history nerd in me wanted to see more of Sharon and Roman. If the actors had been anyone other than Pitt and DiCaprio I probably wouldn’t have liked this one at all. Phenomenal acting saved this from being a movie I shrug off and forget about. DiCaprio’s acting forced me to care about Rick and his downhill career and Pitt provided a tad bit of mystery and intrigue when it came to Cliff. The supporting cast provided memorable moments and there wasn’t anyone who was a weak link.
There is a twist at the end which I didn’t see coming so that added some intrigue for me. I view this as Tarantino’s love letter to old time Hollywood. You can tell how much he loves and respects the history of Hollywood and how movies from that era might have inspired him to go into filmmaking. However, I would be surprised if this movie was at the top of anyone’s “Best of Tarantino List.” Compared to some of his other offerings, this one isn’t nearly as memorable.
Film or Movie: Movie
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You are a die-hard Tarantino fan
2. You have a lot of nostalgia for the Golden Era of Hollywood
3. You like slow paced long movies
