ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD movie review is here. Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, the movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and also Al Pacino (in a cameo). The master filmmaker Quentin Tarantino calls it as his “modern fairy tale tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age.”. Let’s find out how Tarantino pays his tribute to the golden age of Hollywood in the movie review of ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD.
Immediate reaction when the end credits roll
Man.. !! Quentin Tarantino will remain an institute in film making. The awesome Leonardo DiCaprio and the outstanding Brad Pitt reconfirm the genius of Tarantino in this dark, twisted knockout comedy drama that amazingly twines an ode to fictional Hollywood spaghetti westerns with the real Manson Murders in 1969.
The story of ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD
Quentin Tarantino’s ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD takes place in Los Angeles in 1969, at the height of hippy Hollywood. Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), former star of a western TV series, and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Both are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognize anymore. Amidst all these the acclaimed filmmaker Roman Polanski comes (Rafal Zawierucha) to stay as Rick Dalton’s neighbor with his gorgeous wife Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie).
ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD movie review
No one else in this world could have made ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD (OUATIH), in the way Quentin Tarantino has made. Yes there is indulgence but the unique quality of Tarantino who has used all that he has learned while watching movies as an audience, reading books as a student and the experiments he did in his distinguished nine year old career as a filmmaker into this dark and twisted, a comicbook/fairytale ode to Hollywood, playing with fact, fiction and unique imagination.
Long shots, mirror shots, foot fetish, amazing sense of sly humour, a ‘killing’ knockout climax, of course cars and music, everything that made Tarantino the Tarantino we know is there. Surprise, surprise, and here he sobers down a bit and a maturity in his story telling arc is observed. The relation between spaghetti westerns and its ‘universal appeal’ with the growing influence of European/Italian filmmaking in Hollywood coming with a crowd pleasing and thoroughly enjoyable dig on the legendary Bruce Lee, gets its shades of contrast with Tate enjoying her first moment of stardom on the one hand and Rick Dalton’s growing vulnerability over his fading career and uncertain future.
The world of Tarantino’s OUATIH is fascinating throughout as the master cinematographer Robert Richardson sets the tone perfectly swinging between black & white and colour tone of those era, superb art direction by Barbara Ling adds more authenticity that remarkably maintains Tarantino’s trademark pop influence though not in complete flow but still.
DiCaprio can claim Dalton to be one of his career best acts and Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth is outstandingly cool and charismatic throughout. Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate is amazing. Austin Butler as Tex, Margaret Qualley as Pussycat and Damon Herriman as Charles Manson chip in as great support. Mike Moh as Bruce Lee is a delight. And last but not the least the great Al Pacino as Marvin Schwarzs is such a pleasure.
Final words
ONCE UPON A TIME … IN HOLLYWOOD sees the pujari of pulp – Quentin Tarantino an institute in film making on his own growing old and coming of age in an incredibly individualistic piece of cinema in which Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt give a knock out performance. OUATIH celebrates the golden age of Hollywood/spaghetti westerns in a dark twisted fairy tale style that underlines the influence of European/Italian cinema in Hollywood/worldwide after the wave of cowboy westerns. An exquisite piece of art which cannot be ignored at all.
Rated R for language throughout, some strong graphic violence, drug use, and sexual references.
