'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' A Review

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is a dramedy/period piece set in 1969 Hollywood that follows actor Rick Dalton(Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double/chauffeur/best friend Cliff Booth(Brad Pitt) as Rick's star fades and Hollywood changes. Rick lives next door to Sharon Tate(Margot Robbie) whose story is shown congruently.

DiCaprio and Pitt make an effortless, engaging, perfectly balanced duo. DiCaprio giving an incredibly emotional, vulnerable, at times pathetic performance with Pitt as the cool, unflapple, almost zen counter. They make a striking pair and there are moments and sequences when the two are really zoomed in and focused on when the film really soars. There's an extended sequence with DiCaprio filming a guest spot on a TV show which is easily one of the best in writer/director Tarantino's career. The focus of the narrative however is unfortunately disparate. Robbie gives Tate a joyful vitality going through her day-to-day with a singular bravura scene at the movie theater with Robbie as Tate the character watching the actual Tate the person playing a character in The Wrecking Crew. The rest of the cast are mostly all great actors but the majority aren't given much to do, the Mason Family characters particularly are not well utilized but the bigger issue is their place in the narrative at all.

As far as the production Taratino is at the top of his craft- beautifully shot, amazing soundtrack, at times playful, surprising, but always effective editing, authentic and evocative costuming and set design. All elements in perfect harmony. But it is as a screenwriter where Taratino post-Kill Bill seems to falter. The film is overlong, the two narrative threads meander and seem to belong in two different movies until the climactic and exciting conclusion which is mostly unearned and whose message seems bizarre at best and hopelessly regressive at worst. The film doesn't seem to have much of a point beyond nostalgia and because there is a lack of clarity in the intent there are some wonderful scenes and sequences but ultimately it reads like the bemoaning of the fallen status of the white male dominance of showbiz in a particularly off putting way. There may be other layers and satire intended by Taratino but they are simply not clear enough to discern and thus what could have been a great film leaves a bitter aftertaste given the fact it being released in 2019 seems not to have been considered. Devoid of context or time perhaps the film's issues would fall away.

A complicated film conflicted by the myopathy of it's creator.

Rent It.