*WARNING: This Review contains SPOILERS!*
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, auteur Quentin Tarantino’s latest effort, represents a bit of a departure for the veteran filmmaker: It is his first for Sony Pictures Studio after severing his long ties to the Weinstein Company; it is his first not set in the old west (sort of), during World War II or in contemporary times; and, in my view, it is his first that could be categorized as a comedy (although in the past Tarantino has never hesitated to liberally employ humour, especially his trademark dark humour, in his flicks); a satirical send-up of Hollywood culture and values, and a tribute to TV of the 50’s and 60’s.
Set in 1969, the story revolves around two fictional characters, washed-up western TV star Rick Dalton and his stunt double/lackey Cliff Booth (played respectively by twin heartthrobs Leonard DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, in their first feature-length film together) as they navigate the pitfalls of celebrity, deal with fading careers, and interact with reality-based characters like Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) in semi-fictional Hollywood, all under the horrific spectre of the Mansons.
Not atypical for Tarantino, the exceptional cast includes small roles for actors we have not seen in a while, like old-time western star Clu Gulager as “Book Store Man” and Nicholas Hammond (who played Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the short-lived 70’s TV series The Amazing Spider-Man) as Sam Wanamaker, and the obligatory older, big-name actor in a small but memorable role, in this case Al Pacino as an unscrupulous agent. In the middle of all this is Mike Moh’s brief but uncanny turn as Bruce Lee, as well as Tarantino stalwarts Kurt Russell and Zoë Bell. Also prominent are the director’s ubiquitous shots of women’s bare tootsies, all part of his renowned foot fetish. (This time I think it was a little too much.)
At its heart Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is a story of friendship and loyalty; DiCaprio and Pitt work so well together one wonders what took so long to team them up. I liked the leads so much, despite their faults, that by the end I still wanted to see more of them. The costumes, art direction (I especially loved the fake Rick Dalton movie posters) and Tarantino’s signature use of music make you feel like you we in L.A. in 1969. I would go so far as to say that The City of Angels is a character in the film, like the title borough in Woody Allen’s Manhattan.
When I was watching Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, my companion leaned over to me and asked “if this is a Tarantino movie, where is all the violence?” True, with the exception of a few fights and some cartoon western shoot-outs the movie was rather tame by the director’s standards. She got her answer as the last ten minutes give a whole new meaning to the phrase “over-the-top”. In an scene more satisfying than watching Michael Corleone blow Sollozzo’s brains out, Tarantino re-writes history in the same way he gave Adolph Hitler the death he so richly deserved in Inglourious Basterds, and just when you think: Oh no, no, there’s no way, they’re not…no…OH MY GOD!!!, he turns it up even higher.
For me Pulp Fiction remains Quentin Tarantino’s magnum opus (still the greatest movie poster ever; I have a laminated one in my living room), but Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood has more than its share of memorable moments and dialogue. Legendary director Howard Hawks, when asked what makes a good movie, said: “Three good scenes, no bad scenes.” This movie has way more than three good scenes, no bad scenes, and it never drags; I could not believe it was over two and a half hours long!
If you’re a Tarantino fan, you will love it. If not, many of the references and humour, and much the film’s finer qualities, may go over your head. (When we saw it in a theatre that was at about 25% capacity, at least six people walked out by the 2-hour mark.) And be sure to stay through all the credits; they contain some real treats for pop culture fans.
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