Once Upon a Time In Hollywood
Ratings: 3.5/5
Duration: 2 Hours 40 Minutes
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Release date: 15.8.2019 (Canes)
Star cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant, Austin Butler, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern, Al Pacino
Plot: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood takes the audience back to the year 1969. The movie has original characters that have been invented by Tarantino. The movie follows actor Rick Dalton and his friend and stunts double Cliff Booth, whose attempts of making things bigger in the industry turns to be increasingly messy in the actual life. The events result in the murder case of actress Sharon Tate by Charles Manson’s followers. Within the film’s narrative, Dalton happens to be living next to Tate’s home, a situation that makes him cross paths with many popular figures of that time.
Review: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a lot of things at a single time. It is nostalgia-soaked, stylish, frustratingly inert, and frequently indulgent. That being said, regardless of what its characteristics are, the movie is endlessly fascinating. The movie is a letter of love to the golden age of Hollywood. It is a daring amalgam of fiction and fact.
Set in 1969, the movie gives Tarantino the opportunity to refer to that period’s fashion, film stars, headlines, cool cars, and music. The movie includes the explosive violence and dark humor of the filmmaker and yet it is unmistakably sentimental.
The movie has two big film stars playing the has-been Hollywood types. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Rick Dalton while Brad Pitt plays his friend and stunt double. Both the actors happen to be in an excellent form, each one offering layered, emotionally complex, and funny performances. The performance of Margot Robbie is also very appealing and absolutely lovely. The audience will spend an appreciable portion of the movie waiting to check out how Tarantino would be wrapping up things. The final portion of the movie is oddly satisfying, unpredictable, and outrageous.
However, in spite of so many good things involved in it, the movie’s pacing happens to be quite problematic. The viewers are likely to find themselves getting restless especially in the initial hour where nothing much actually happens. At times one would feel like Tarantino has just strung together many entertaining moments and scenes that do not really have an impact in regards to the story.
Moreover, the movie involves many references to many old television shows and films. The viewers would see lengthy scenes of the old films within the actual movie. This can ultimately be tiring and frustrating.
All that said, however, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a funny, often violent, but heartfelt sweetheart to a particular place and time. The amazing production design, artful photography, and brilliant appearances by the legendary characters would surely transfer the audience to the bygone times of Hollywood, which is difficult to resist. Overall, the film is sure to get you plenty of unexpected pleasures.
