Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

This review may contain spoilers!

This is a step back in the right direction for Tarantino but certainly not one of the instant classics he used to craft. I would give Once Upon A Time In Hollywood a 7/10.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood follows Rick Dalton, an actor who fears his career is waning and his stuntman, Cliff Booth, as they navigate Hollywood life throughout the 50s and 60s. I think the truly clever qualities of this film emerged in Rick Dalton's storyline; his intense self-doubt and constant introspection made him a struggling actor who was genuinely interesting to watch. It was quite fascinating to see him transition from being right on the brink to standing out impressively in Lancer and making something of himself in Italian Westerns.This film ultimately comes to life when it works to make the audience experience the period of time that they are watching; to really immerse you in the experience. Tarantino transports you to a time in Hollywood that feels divided at a number of times yet revels in the promis and splendour of the film industry. The cinematography used throughout is a testament to the seasoned director, there's never a moment where you feel precise thought has been skimped on for how a given scene should look. The editing for this film is also incredibly smooth despite the slower pace of the narrative, transitions move with deliberate intent and the visual side of storytelling is nothing if not satisfying. The score for the film is a very fun blend between some of the projects and references scattered throughout the film and a more deliberate haunting style for the scenes that require a build in tension.

Brad Pitt, who played Cliff Booth, is one of the most loyal and moral characters of this film; Pitt moves through this feature with a stoic, good-natured energy but you know he can turn into an action powerhouse at a moments notice. Timothy Olyphant, who played James Stacy, is quite fun as the young up and coming actor to counterbalance DiCaprio's Dalton; Olyphant has a very gracious way of presenting an optimistic and likeable protagonist. Julia Butters, who played Trudi, is an absolutely hilarious goldmine of a character; Butters straight to the point role has an encyclopaedic knowledge about the acting profession and it leads to some brilliant scenes. Al Pacino, who played Marvin Schwarz, is such a thrill to watch as an onscreen producer and active cinephile; Pacino is a gateway to the joy of watching and experiencing film in this feature. Damon Herriman, who played Charles Manson, is eerily good as the famed cult leader; Herriman manages to make you feel immediately charmed by his character while at the same time leaving you feeling uneasy.

However, the best performance came from Leonardo DiCaprio, who played Rick Dalton. There is little surprise in watching a DiCaprio film and being completely won over by his ability to perform and display an extraordinary range of emotion. As Rick you get a more comedic portrayal in some respects; watching DiCaprio portray a man struggling within his own career and currently peaking by playing the antagonist in TV shows is a fun juxtaposition in and of itself. The qualities DiCaprio gave this character like his nervous, stammering tone or intense self-doubt are elements of the role that really worked and defined him when he wasn't playing to a character. Some of the best scenes of the film comprise of watching DiCaprio ooze menace as this murderous, backstabbing Western villain and then drop the facade to reveal this reedy, insecure performer who doubts himself at every turn. This one was a little more unconventional for DiCaprio but it worked a treat and had me highly amused.

This film is not going to be what a lot of people were expecting it to be, it's certainly a satisfying piece of cinema but it never goes the full mile to pull out all the stops. Tarantino opts to make a slow paced film that runs close enough to three hours long for you to start getting a little impatient in that third act. My opinion of a run time is that you shouldn't ever really have to care about it as long as a film has earned the time it has played for; and this certainly didn't leave me convinced. The movie dragged it's legs in the first and second act, trying to impress you with the culture and setting but nver returning to the plot quickly enough. This movie is riddled with easter eggs, references or scenes that cut away to provide little anecdotal moments which really does nothing but clog up the film. Ultimately the film felt almost like a slice of life/period film that Tarantino was more experimenting with rose-coloured glasses, it was a nostalgic trip pleasantly presented but lacking the desired impact. The way the film ended felt like it was pulling it's punches a lot too, the whole home invasion confrontation almost felt as if it had been pulled from a completely different movie.

Margot Robbie, who played Sharon Tate, is beyond a shadow of a doubt better than what this film gave her; I think Robbie spoke just under twenty lines all up and had such a vacant empty role to work with. Emile Hirsch, who played Jay Sebring, was this wonderstruck fanboy at the end of the film which really didn't seem to go in hand with the character he was playing; Hirsch and Robbie had zero chemistry onscreen too which made their affair boring to watch. Margaret Qualley, who played Pussycat, gave a performance that went about as far over the top as it got in this film; Qualley seemed incapable of finding a manner in which to ground her role and so took her out beyond the realms of belief. Mike Moh, who played Bruce Lee, is one of the most controversial roles in this film and was not done well in my opinion; a very shallow representation of Lee and Moh was not the best pick to flesh him out. Damian Lewis and Rafal Zawierucha, who played Steve McQueen and Roman Polanski respectively, are essentially treated as background set pieces; Zawierucha's relationship with Robbie could at the very least have been given some more substance than it ever was. Kurt Russell and Zoe Bell, who played Randy and Janet respectively, give the most boring performances in what is already one of the weakest scenes of the film; Bell in particular is all over the place and the weakest link in this cast.