Quentin Tarantino is without a doubt one of the most acclaimed and influential filmmakers still working in the industry today. He first came onto the scene with the release of 1992’s Reservoir Dogs, which was an instant critical hit. This was followed by 1994’s Pulp Fiction, which was both a critical and commercial hit, earning him an Academy Award. His next film, 1997’s Jackie Brown, though a hit with critics, wasn’t as financially successful, so he took a break. He came back with the release of Kill Bill: Volume 1 in 2003 and Kill Bill: Volume 2 in 2004. Though 2007’s Grindhouse was a disappointment, he rebounded with 2009’s Inglorious Basterds and 2012’s Django Unchained, both winning Oscars. After the release of 2015’s The Hateful Eight, Tarantino cut ties to The Weinstein Company after the sexual abuse accusations. Cut to 2019, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is released.
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Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an aging actor known mostly for being in TV Westerns who’s struggling to remain relevant. His stuntman/best friend Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) does his best to help him along and give him encouraging words. At the same time, actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) has just moved in with her husband Roman Polanski (Rafał Zawierucha). While Rick gets a job playing a villain on a new TV Western, Booth meets hippie chick Pussycat (Margaret Qualley). After giving her a ride to Spahn Movie Ranch, she asks him to stay, but Booth has his suspicions. Turns out this hippie commune is led by one Charles “Charlie” Manson (Damon Herriman), and they’ve been squatting there. Eventually, Rick gets an offer to shoot films in Italy, which he reluctantly agrees to despite their poor reputation. Eventually, these various subplots comes together in one insane climax of violence and death.
Like many of Tarantino’s previous films, this is certainly one of the most well-made and well-crafted films in recent years. First off, the performances are phenomenal, especially DiCaprio, Pitt, and Robbie, the scenes between DiCaprio and Pitt a major highlight. Their scenes together feel like two people who’ve been lifelong friends, and they share some great banter between them. Other cast highlights include Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, Timothy Olyphant, Bruce Dern, Zoe Bell, Dakota Fanning, and Luke Perry. Though many of these are nothing more than cameos, each one is given their moment to shine and they’re fantastic. Along with the cast, Tarantino’s writing is outstanding, once again feeling like natural conversations rather than written dialogue. Even in scenes where not much happens, the dialogue keeps you engaged and the actors deliver it pitch perfectly. Filmmaking-wise, the direction is on-point and perfectly captures a late 60s vibe.
Admittedly, though there’s plenty to love here, there are some issues with the film, though mostly in the pacing. The first act starts off strong, but then much of the second act tends to drag things to a halt. While there’s still some entertaining scenes of DiCaprio struggling as an actor and Pitt cruising along, not much plotwise happens. Also, though Robbie delivers a great performance, she’s not given much to do and doesn’t factor into the plot much. Granted, many of Tarantino’s movies are known for having multiple subplots that eventually intersect into one another towards the end. Plus, it’s somewhat refreshing to have a movie that’s much slower and chill amongst the many bombastic blockbusters released today. Some may be put off by the slow pace and lack of a straightforward narrative, but others will enjoy it. Overall, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is another Tarantino gem.
