Once Upon A Time...in Hollywood
3.5/4
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie
Rated R for Language Throughout, Some Strong Graphic Violence, Drug Use, and Sexual References
Quentin Tarantino isn't just a director; he's a genre unto himself. QT brings so many elements and genres into his films that it's hard to figure out which is a better descriptor: film auteur or film nerd. Probably the best way to describe a Quentin Tarantino movie is to call it exactly what it is: a Quentin Tarantino movie. Anyone who has seen any one of his movies knows what that means. Graphic violence and ironic comedy, film references and philosophy, and that oh so signature dialogue. There have been plenty of imitators (as there must be with any new genre or style), but there is only one Quentin Tarantino.
The film takes place in 1969 Los Angeles. Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) is a has-been actor desperate to get back on the A-list. But even with a new agent, a shady fellow named Marvin Schwarz (Al Pacino), he finds that regaining his lost glory elusive. At least he has his best bro and stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt) to rely on while he weathers the tides. It's also fortunate that he lives next door to Sharon Tate (Robbie), wife of the new wonderboy director Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha). It's a piece of luck that he intends to capitalize on...
If there is a problem with QT's new film, is that it doesn't have much of a plot. Okay, fine. It has no plot whatsoever. That's okay, though. This is a slice of life dramedy, so characters and dialogue are more important than story. Once you see this movie for what it is, you can relax and enjoy the film's true strengths. Neither quality is as strong as "Reservoir Dogs" or "Pulp Fiction," but then again, how many movies are. But they are good enough to elevate the material and engage the mind and the soul.
The two leads hit it out of the park. The ever choosy Leonardo DiCaprio gets his best role since "The Wolf of Wall Street" (not that there's much competition, since the list includes his overrated performance in "The Revenant" and "The Great Gatsby," arguably his worst performance). Rick is the definition of a has-been star: a strung-out mix of arrogance and desperation. DiCaprio gets to show his range and is completely at ease with QT's signature dialogue (as he should be after his scene-stealing turn in "Django Unchained"). Brad Pitt gives a deliciously droll performance as the perpetually laid back Cliff. Not much gets to him, whether it's being fired from a job or being cornered by members of the Manson family. More importantly, the two stars have excellent chemistry (on screen and off, as it turns out). The third name on the marquee, Margot Robbie, continues to grow as an actress, playing Sharon Tate as a woman of great warmth, presence and naivete.
The cast is littered with stars in walk-on performances: Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, Emlie Hirsch, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern, the late Luke Perry, Damian Lewis, up-and-coming actress Lorenza Izzo, Lena Dunham, Scoot McNairy, Clifton Collins Jr, Dreama Walker, Rumer Willis, Rebecca Gayheart, James Remar, plus QT regulars Michael Madsen and Zoe Bell. All are effective, even if most of them are of the blink-and-you'll miss them variety. Special mention has to go to young Julia Butters, who plays a child actress working with Rick. Not only does Butters hold her own, she has the pluck and intensity to intimidate DiCaprio. Think a sassier and less vulnerable version of McKenna Grace from "Gifted" (in point of fact, I was sure that it was Grace who appeared in the film).
"Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood" is too long, but paradoxically, I didn't want it to end. I wanted to hear more of the dialogue, see more of the characters, and watch them travel through life. Everyone here is in a state of limbo in one way or another, and I wanted to experience every minute with them. There is also plenty of amusing dialogue, including two scenes that had me laughing out loud. The first one is Rick's meltdown in his trailer, which is briefly shown in the trailer (it's a lot funnier when shown in full and put into context...trust me). The other comes at the end, which I won't spoil. Just remember that QT has no qualms about playing fast and loose with historical facts (anyone remember the end of "Inglorious Basterds?"). Stick around for the end credits, where QT takes a hilarious potshot at product placement (which he hates).
This is a welcome return to form after the divisive "The Hateful Eight," which I felt would have worked better as a play than a film. But here, QT gives himself all the room he needs to have his characters meander, live, scheme, and of course, talk. Quentin Tarantino films are alive in ways that few films are, and that's what has made him such an icon for nearly 30 years. He does his own thing and takes no quarter, and for that we should be grateful.
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie
Rated R for Language Throughout, Some Strong Graphic Violence, Drug Use, and Sexual References
Quentin Tarantino isn't just a director; he's a genre unto himself. QT brings so many elements and genres into his films that it's hard to figure out which is a better descriptor: film auteur or film nerd. Probably the best way to describe a Quentin Tarantino movie is to call it exactly what it is: a Quentin Tarantino movie. Anyone who has seen any one of his movies knows what that means. Graphic violence and ironic comedy, film references and philosophy, and that oh so signature dialogue. There have been plenty of imitators (as there must be with any new genre or style), but there is only one Quentin Tarantino.
The film takes place in 1969 Los Angeles. Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) is a has-been actor desperate to get back on the A-list. But even with a new agent, a shady fellow named Marvin Schwarz (Al Pacino), he finds that regaining his lost glory elusive. At least he has his best bro and stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt) to rely on while he weathers the tides. It's also fortunate that he lives next door to Sharon Tate (Robbie), wife of the new wonderboy director Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha). It's a piece of luck that he intends to capitalize on...
If there is a problem with QT's new film, is that it doesn't have much of a plot. Okay, fine. It has no plot whatsoever. That's okay, though. This is a slice of life dramedy, so characters and dialogue are more important than story. Once you see this movie for what it is, you can relax and enjoy the film's true strengths. Neither quality is as strong as "Reservoir Dogs" or "Pulp Fiction," but then again, how many movies are. But they are good enough to elevate the material and engage the mind and the soul.
The two leads hit it out of the park. The ever choosy Leonardo DiCaprio gets his best role since "The Wolf of Wall Street" (not that there's much competition, since the list includes his overrated performance in "The Revenant" and "The Great Gatsby," arguably his worst performance). Rick is the definition of a has-been star: a strung-out mix of arrogance and desperation. DiCaprio gets to show his range and is completely at ease with QT's signature dialogue (as he should be after his scene-stealing turn in "Django Unchained"). Brad Pitt gives a deliciously droll performance as the perpetually laid back Cliff. Not much gets to him, whether it's being fired from a job or being cornered by members of the Manson family. More importantly, the two stars have excellent chemistry (on screen and off, as it turns out). The third name on the marquee, Margot Robbie, continues to grow as an actress, playing Sharon Tate as a woman of great warmth, presence and naivete.
The cast is littered with stars in walk-on performances: Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, Emlie Hirsch, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern, the late Luke Perry, Damian Lewis, up-and-coming actress Lorenza Izzo, Lena Dunham, Scoot McNairy, Clifton Collins Jr, Dreama Walker, Rumer Willis, Rebecca Gayheart, James Remar, plus QT regulars Michael Madsen and Zoe Bell. All are effective, even if most of them are of the blink-and-you'll miss them variety. Special mention has to go to young Julia Butters, who plays a child actress working with Rick. Not only does Butters hold her own, she has the pluck and intensity to intimidate DiCaprio. Think a sassier and less vulnerable version of McKenna Grace from "Gifted" (in point of fact, I was sure that it was Grace who appeared in the film).
"Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood" is too long, but paradoxically, I didn't want it to end. I wanted to hear more of the dialogue, see more of the characters, and watch them travel through life. Everyone here is in a state of limbo in one way or another, and I wanted to experience every minute with them. There is also plenty of amusing dialogue, including two scenes that had me laughing out loud. The first one is Rick's meltdown in his trailer, which is briefly shown in the trailer (it's a lot funnier when shown in full and put into context...trust me). The other comes at the end, which I won't spoil. Just remember that QT has no qualms about playing fast and loose with historical facts (anyone remember the end of "Inglorious Basterds?"). Stick around for the end credits, where QT takes a hilarious potshot at product placement (which he hates).
This is a welcome return to form after the divisive "The Hateful Eight," which I felt would have worked better as a play than a film. But here, QT gives himself all the room he needs to have his characters meander, live, scheme, and of course, talk. Quentin Tarantino films are alive in ways that few films are, and that's what has made him such an icon for nearly 30 years. He does his own thing and takes no quarter, and for that we should be grateful.
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