Logan Sork Film Reviews
Once Upon a Time in...Hollywood
For the past couple of decades, Quentin Tarantino has proven himself to be one of the most exciting filmmakers working in the industry. His films are always unique, twisted, fun and above all original, something that is not common these days. When he announced that his next project would center around 1960’s Hollywood and would feature a star-studded cast featuring some of the best actors working today, you bet I was excited. Once again, Tarantino delivers, with his attest film offering top notch direction, fantastic performances and a deep exploration of the Hollywood industry in the 60’s that overshadows it’s smaller issues.
Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood is the 9th film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie. The film is set against the backdrop of 1969 Hollywood and follows fading TV actor Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and his stunt double, Cliff (Pitt), in their shenanigans they struggle to remain relevant in the changing Hollywood landscape. Along their journey they encounter many different faces amongst the changing industry, including rising actress Sharon Tate (Robbie), an eccentric producer (Al Pacino) and members of the ever-expanding Manson family.
With each film he has made, Tarantino has proven himself to be one of the best directors working today while also working to improve his craft as a filmmaker. With this being his 9th feature film s director, it’s quite clear how much he has grown in his journey. The direction of this film is fantastic, with every little detail showing just how much he is invested in this project. From the perfectly staged camera movements to the way the actors interact with one another to the memorable music choices, this is Tarantino at his best. He also has a lot of fun with cutting away to various things that people talking about in a conversation to help give the audience a better idea on the topic While this may be jarring to some people, I found it to be quite entertaining and thought it helped separate the film from the rest of his filmography in terms of his directing style. And while this script is one of his weaker ones, a weak Tarantino script is still incredibly entertaining, with plenty of memorable lines and moments helping this film standout.
But as with most Tarantino films, they would not be as entertaining as they are without a great cast and this one is phenomenal. Leonardo DiCaprio returns from his hiatus (his last film being 2015’s The Revenant) and proves once again that he is one of the best actors working today. His turn as the aging Rick Dalton is both hilarious and a little sad as we watch DiCaprio brilliantly bring his manic energy and crushing loneliness to the screen in a truly stellar performance. Opposite him is Brad Pitt who is equally great as an aging stunt double. His cool and quite mannerisms contrast nicely with DiCaprio’s bipolar personality, making for an excellent pair with great chemistry. Margot Robbie is also excellent as Sharon Tate, making her seem more like a real-life person rather than a character for a film. In fact, the main three turn in such good performances that it felt like I was watching real people talk and interact with one another, they were truly on another level The supporting cast is also excellent, with everyone turning in memorable performances as their respective characters. The real standouts include Al Pacino as an eccentric producer, Margaret Qualley as a member of the Manson family, Mike Moh as Bruce Lee, and Julia Butters as a sassy eight-year-old method actress. This is truly one of the best ensemble casts I’ve seen in quite a while, as each and every performer elevates the material given to them in a truly fantastic manner.
The film also does a beautiful job of portraying 1960’s Hollywood both in terms of appearance and personality. The way in which the modern city of Los Angeles has been transformed into 1969 Hollywood is just beautiful. From the colorful movie posters hanging on the walls of the buildings and the recreated sets of famous TV serials, to the fashionable outfits our characters are dressed in and the cars they drive, the city of Los Angeles feels like its own character. And of course, with most characters in films we get and idea of what they are like, and while 1960’s Hollywood was certainly beautiful on the surface, there is a different story behind the scenes. The journey our characters go through just shows how much of a struggle it is to make it in the industry and keep your place once you get there. Everyone acts like they are on your side but once your back is turned, they are anything but your friend. The film is an extremely accurate depiction of the 1960’s film industry, but it never feels like Tarantino demonizes it. In many ways, he honors it without making it too gawdy, walking a fine line between fact and fantasy. It is this balance that makes this love letter to 1960’s Hollywood all the more interesting.
As far as any issues are concerned, the biggest one concerns the film’s pacing. With a runtime of almost three hours, this falls in line with many of Tarantino’s previous films when it comes tot eh running time. However, whereas the previous films had a lot of plot to get through, this film doesn’t really have a plot driven narrative. There’s nothing wrong with that, but the films runtime can defiantly be felt sometimes, particularly when anyone drives somewhere or does a mundane task and Tarantino decides to show every little detail. I get that he wants to show off the Hollywood set pieces as much as possible, but you could’ve easily shaves 15-20 minutes off the film’s runtime and not really lose anything.
Those issues are very small in the grand scheme of things however, as Tarantino delivers yet another entertaining film. Packed with great direction, fantastic performances and a great exploration of 1960’s Hollywood, this film stands out amongst a summer season of action films and sequels as one of the best movies of the year.
9/10