Once upon a time in hollywood (2019) - quentin tarantino - film review
94%
By O. Jacobs
Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton [left] - Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth [right]
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) is a sleek, funny, and nostalgic glimpse into late 60’s LA, through the lense of Rick Dalton (A Fading Actor) and Cliff Booth (Rick’s Stunt Double) as they grapple with their respective careers.
Twisting together real life inspiration and fictionality wasn’t new to Tarantino in 2019, but this film displays Quentin’s masterful storytelling in a way I believe it was never shown to us before, nor as maturely.
Every carefully manicured scene allows the viewer to soak up as much 60’s-feel as you possibly can - whether cruising around town with Cliff, making a cocktail with Rick, or putting on a vinyl record with Sharon. But this is the least of it.
Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate
This film’s strength lies in its characters, particularly the distinct manner in which they exist. Rick Dalton is the most believable screen-puppet to wear a Leonardo Dicaprio mask i’ve ever seen, while Bratt Pitt practically disapears entirely the second you hear Cliff Booth utter his first word.
The most brilliantly sensitive choice in the direction - acting as a perfect counterpart to Tarantino’s typical buildup to a dark and enjoyable violent ending, is Margot Robbie’s Sharon Tate being seen by viewer like a fly on the wall with minimal speaking lines to live vicariously through, unlike the fictional characters donned by the leading men - as to allow no alteration of Sharon’s legacy as a beautiful free spirit, apart from the ending narrative.
Reducing Manson’s cronies and subsequent devil-movement shtick to merely “a couple of hippies getting f*cked up” is pretty goddamn hilarious, and so funny - you forget you’re watching someone get their head bashed in. The voyeurism of celebrity melancholy and the human-beneath-the-surface of TV frontmen’s past is a full success in a grand 2hr 40min runtime, and the fear and trauma dealt by those seeking to cause pain to others for generations to come, is briefly conquered for a satisying 20min break from reality - via an acid cigarette, a can of dog food, and a flamethrower.
What else do you need?
