Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood - Review
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern
One of the few remaining auteurs of our time who can simultaneously guarantee audience satisfaction and critical approval, Tarantino has expressed many times that his next feature (his tenth) will be his last. As he approaches his cinematic swan song, the director is clearly experiencing a sense of nostalgia and has penned a love letter to the industry in the daring and dazzling Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood.
Los Angeles, 1969 - the Golden Age of Hollywood. TV star Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and his long-time stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt) both individually struggle to adapt to the shift that their industry has undertaken over the course of their respective careers. Meanwhile, Sharon Tate's (Robbie) star is on the rise as she graces the silver screen in a slew of hit films.
Tarantino has always attracted a high-calibre cast but for Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood he has assembled arguably the three most sought after stars working today; DiCaprio, Pitt and Robbie. The presence of even one of these actors would be enough to entice audiences to the cinema, so the three of them sharing the screen (in a Tarantino picture, nonetheless) is a cinephile's dream. DiCaprio and Pitt deliver two of the best performances of the year and respective careers, crafting a dynamic and chemistry that oozes star power whenever they appear together in a scene.
Both stars get to flex their comedic chops; DiCaprio finds the fun in Dalton's insecurity and emotional turbulence as the character grapples with his declining popularity and throws multiple tantrums in the process. In his own vein of the narrative that sees him encounter the infamous Manson family, Pitt captures Booth's irreverence, coolness and enigma. In comparison to Dalton's lavish lifestyle, Booth lives in a small trailer with his beloved pitbull Brandy and regularly eats boxed macaroni and cheese for his dinner but is noticeably more at peace with his life than his dear old friend. There's no doubt that Dalton and Booth are two typical Tarantino characters, decorated with memorable movie moments and instantly quotable dialogue. Robbie's Sharon Tate is the antithesis of nearly every other character in Tarantino's roster. As the audience witness Tate living her day to day life (including attending parties at the Playboy Mansion and endearingly going to watch her own film in a movie theatre), we understand her angelic and ethereal presence, with Tarantino giving the deceased actress a grace and dignity in her life on screen that she didn't receive in her untimely demise.
Unlike Inglorious Basterds, Pulp Fiction or Django Unchained, Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood is a film not so intently driven by plot, instead focusing on moments that reveal character and pay homage to Hollywood. At 2 hours and 40 mins partnered with a pace that is at times meandering and inconsistent, the film could be considered slightly inaccessible. However, Tarantino's singular blend of comedy, violence, tension and drama ensures that the audience are never placid or indifferent for too long.
Upon first impression, Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood seems to mark a departure from Tarantino's sensibilities. But after closer dissection, the film emerges as an ode to the industry that the director has long revered and worked in for over 20 years, thereby making it his most personal effort to date.
EB
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern
One of the few remaining auteurs of our time who can simultaneously guarantee audience satisfaction and critical approval, Tarantino has expressed many times that his next feature (his tenth) will be his last. As he approaches his cinematic swan song, the director is clearly experiencing a sense of nostalgia and has penned a love letter to the industry in the daring and dazzling Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood.Los Angeles, 1969 - the Golden Age of Hollywood. TV star Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and his long-time stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt) both individually struggle to adapt to the shift that their industry has undertaken over the course of their respective careers. Meanwhile, Sharon Tate's (Robbie) star is on the rise as she graces the silver screen in a slew of hit films.
Tarantino has always attracted a high-calibre cast but for Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood he has assembled arguably the three most sought after stars working today; DiCaprio, Pitt and Robbie. The presence of even one of these actors would be enough to entice audiences to the cinema, so the three of them sharing the screen (in a Tarantino picture, nonetheless) is a cinephile's dream. DiCaprio and Pitt deliver two of the best performances of the year and respective careers, crafting a dynamic and chemistry that oozes star power whenever they appear together in a scene.
Both stars get to flex their comedic chops; DiCaprio finds the fun in Dalton's insecurity and emotional turbulence as the character grapples with his declining popularity and throws multiple tantrums in the process. In his own vein of the narrative that sees him encounter the infamous Manson family, Pitt captures Booth's irreverence, coolness and enigma. In comparison to Dalton's lavish lifestyle, Booth lives in a small trailer with his beloved pitbull Brandy and regularly eats boxed macaroni and cheese for his dinner but is noticeably more at peace with his life than his dear old friend. There's no doubt that Dalton and Booth are two typical Tarantino characters, decorated with memorable movie moments and instantly quotable dialogue. Robbie's Sharon Tate is the antithesis of nearly every other character in Tarantino's roster. As the audience witness Tate living her day to day life (including attending parties at the Playboy Mansion and endearingly going to watch her own film in a movie theatre), we understand her angelic and ethereal presence, with Tarantino giving the deceased actress a grace and dignity in her life on screen that she didn't receive in her untimely demise.
Unlike Inglorious Basterds, Pulp Fiction or Django Unchained, Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood is a film not so intently driven by plot, instead focusing on moments that reveal character and pay homage to Hollywood. At 2 hours and 40 mins partnered with a pace that is at times meandering and inconsistent, the film could be considered slightly inaccessible. However, Tarantino's singular blend of comedy, violence, tension and drama ensures that the audience are never placid or indifferent for too long.
Upon first impression, Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood seems to mark a departure from Tarantino's sensibilities. But after closer dissection, the film emerges as an ode to the industry that the director has long revered and worked in for over 20 years, thereby making it his most personal effort to date.
EB
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