Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood

Greetings again from the darkness. Hippies, westerns, short skirts, pompadours, catchy pop songs ... all have (mostly) disappeared from our world. Back to save the day and the memories, and twist a little history, is Quentin Tarantino, the ultimate film geek. His latest reminds us of a bygone era of movie stars and old school filmmaking ... a once beloved industry which has been described as being on life support. There have been plenty of big screen love letters to Hollywood, but few if any, were filmed with so many personal touches and call-backs to the director's own films.

In keeping with the request from Mr. Tarantino, this review will not include any spoilers or details that might negatively impact anyone's initial viewing of the film. It's a reasonable request since the film is so unique and literally packed with nostalgia, sight gags, and historical bits and pieces - some accurate, some not so much. There is a lot to take in and process, and the full impact of the initial viewing might result in awe, shock or disgust ... and maybe even all of the above. So this will be a pretty simple overview peppered with some insight that should enhance rather than spoil the experience.

The film covers about 6 months in 1969, but in reality, it all takes place (at least what we see on screen) in 3 days. Leonardo DiCaprio (possibly his best ever performance) plays Rick Dalton, an actor who had a hit (fictional) TV western series in the 50's and 60's entitled "Bounty Law". Since the show ended, Rick has been unable to make the successful transition to movies. For comparison, think of Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen and Burt Reynolds - all actors in TV westerns who found greater career success in movies. Brad Pitt (the epitome of cool) stars as Cliff Booth, Rick's stunt double, friend, driver, handyman, etc. While Rick is desperate to find the next stage of his career and fend off being forgotten, Cliff, a Vietnam vet, is accepting of his lot in life. Rick lives in a swanky Hollywood Hills home next door to hotshot director Roman Polanski and his starlet wife Sharon Tate; and Cliff lives in a trailer behind the Van Nuys Drive-In with his well-trained Rottweiler Brandy.

There are multiple parallel stories to follow, and a key one involves the aforementioned Sharon Tate. Margot Robbie nails the role and bounces about town with the energy and sweet aura that we imagine she possessed. All 3 of the lead actors - DiCaprio, Pitt, Robbie - have knockout scenes that I'd love to be able to discuss, but I'm not sure how without giving away too much. What I can say is that each of these three talented actors prove that movie stars still exist.

This is Tarantino's 9th film as a director (he counts the 2-part KILL BILL as one film), and he claims he will stop making films after number 10. There are multiple features we can count on in a QT film, and a ridiculously deep supporting cast is one. Going through each of the characters played by actors you will recognize would take a page and a half, so I'll cover only a few here. Margaret Qualley is a scene stealer as Pussycat, one of the Manson family girls. You likely remember her from the recent "Fosse/Verdon" or "The Leftovers", and here she fully embraces the hippie look and spirit. Emile Hirsch plays hairdresser Jay Sebring, one of those in the house with Ms. Tate on that fateful night, and Mike Moh plays Bruce Lee so convincingly that I was momentarily confused when he took off his sunglasses. Also making appearances are some Tarantino regulars: Kurt Russell (as a stunt coordinator and narrator), Michael Madsen (as an actor), and Bruce Dern as George Spahn (a late replacement after Burt Reynolds passed away). Others of note include Maya Hawke (Uma Thurman's daughter), Austin Butler (recently cast in the title role of Baz Luhrmann's Elvis biopic) as Tex Watson, Rumer Willis (Bruce's daughter) as actress Joanna Pettet, Damian Lewis as Steve McQueen, Al Pacino as agent Marvin Schwarzs, Dakota Fanning as Squeaky Fromme, and the late Luke Perry as actor Wayne Maunder ("Lancer"). 90 year old Clu Gulager ("The Virginian", THE LAST PICTURE SHOW) makes an appearance, and Nicholas Hammond (Friedrich from THE SOUND OF MUSIC) tears into his role with gusto as director Sam Wanamaker. There is even a TV Guide cover featuring the late great character actor Andrew Duggan ("Lancer"). Some of these, and many more, are like cameos, but it's still fascinating to see the faces.

1969 was 50 years ago, and Tarantino does a remarkable job of recreating the look of Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard, Cielo Drive, and studio backlots. Much credit goes to Production Designer Barbara Ling and Set Decorator Nancy Haigh (frequent Coen Brothers collaborator and an Oscar winner for BUGSY). Arianne Phillips does a tremendous job with the costumes that look natural for the time period, and not like something right off the wardrobe racks. Three-time Oscar winning Cinematographer Robert Richardson (HUGO, THE AVIATOR, JFK) is back for his 6th Tarantino film, and he captures the look and feel and vibe of a time that is so personal to the director.

It's been three and a half years since THE HATEFUL EIGHT, Tarantino's most recent film, and probably his worst received. This one is clearly personal as it captures the time and place that he fell in love with movies. The dichotomy of rising starlet and fading cowboy as neighbors is a brilliant way to make a point about times changing. This was a time of transition in the United States - a new culture was upon us, and whatever innocence remained, was surely snuffed out on a hot August night in 1969. As usual, his use of music serves a purpose. We are treated to Roy Head, The Royal Guardsmen, and Paul Revere and the Raiders, among others. QT also shows us plenty of bare feet (another trademark). What is unusual is that the film lacks the trademark mass dialogue. This one kind of meanders ... right up until it doesn't.

Quentin Tarantino is a living, breathing film geek (that's a compliment) who has earned the right to make the movies he wants to make. This one took him a lifetime to live, 5 years to write, and it will take you 161 minutes to watch. It was warmly received at Cannes, but no one can expect to "catch" everything Mr. Tarantino has served up in one viewing. That said, one viewing will likely be one too many for quite a few folks (especially many under 40 who have no recollection of this Hollywood). Some will categorize this as an overindulgent nostalgia trip for movie nerds. And they are likely correct. But for those of us who complain that too many movies are remakes, re-treads and comic books, there is no denying Tarantino delivers a unique and creative viewing experience - and it's not meant for everyone.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a film that is aesthetically appealing from start to finish. Quentin Tarantino's interpretation of 1969 Hollywood is a lush world with superb detail. This movie serves as a love letter to the place Tarantino presumably grew up with.

The cast features an All Star ensemble of actors. Whether supporting or main, every character in this film is portrayed with excellence. Leonardo DiCaprio continues to flex his acting prowess in his portrayal of Rick Dalton. DiCaprio's Rick Dalton is a classic take on the waning career of a once successful actor. His emotion as Rick Dalton is felt in a comical and rewarding sense. His anguish is felt prominently within this film. DiCaprio continues to be brilliant. Margot Robbie's portrayal of Sharon Tate is graceful and wholesome. Robbie's ability to emote with facials alone is true talent. Her on screen presence grants the film and audience with a sense of euphoria. Brad Pitt's character of Cliff Booth is a bad ass in every aspect. His portrayal of the character is presented with an enduring chip on the shoulder. When Cliff Booth is on screen, the film is given security. Pitt continues to exhibit why he is a name that should always be in the discussion of great actors. Pitt's chemistry with DiCaprio's Rick Dalton is excellent. Both men play off each other in a manner that makes you believe they are best friends in real life. On rare occasions will you get a chemistry more authentic than this. Rick and Cliff mirror that of Abbott and Costello, or Batman and Robin. Both men were made for these roles and are symbiotic to one another.

The dialogue in this film is up to par with the rest of Tarantino's filmography. Every word feels natural, and every encounter is perfect. Tarantino continues his streak of quotable One liners. Tarantino does an excellent job of flexing his knowledge of 1969 Hollywood within his dialogue and writing. The film is masterfully paced as well. The flashbacks don't step on the present story and they add incredible depth to an ever growing tale. The film is slow paced in that it adds background and detail to the characters and the world they live in. There are minor points of foreshadowing that tie in perfectly to the overall story. The payoff to this story is incredibly satisfying and unexpected. Tarantino is a master in storytelling at this point in his career.

The film is shot beautifully. Every shot matters and serves a purpose. Tarantino exhibits his appreciation for 1969 Hollywood through long shots of beautiful scenery and diegetic sound. Tarantino's angling of the camera is natural, serving as a film student's wet dream. Once again, the world is incredibly lush. The soundtrack exhibits some of the best usage of music in recent cinema. At times the film feels like a big music video, however this does not take away from anything within the film. The music serves as the mascot for Tarantino's 1969 Hollywood. The music and the setting of 1969 Hollywood are inseparable.

Overall, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is another masterpiece in Quentin Tarantino's filmography. Whereas Pulp Fiction excels in storytelling and dialogue, this film excels in storytelling and cinematography. 1969 never looked so good.

Not one of Tarantino's best. But still a pretty damn good and smart movie with cool sequences, great acting and directing, music and scenes that will stay with you long after the movie and you would love to watch again. Loved the combo Pitt-DiCaprio but loved more seeing some famous characters in this film such as Steve Mcqueen and Bruce Lee, who are absolutely hilarious in the movie! 8/10

Before watching this film, it is CRITICAL that you have somewhat of a knowledge about Charles Manson (and Sharron Tate). If I did not have my sister next to me pointing out the small references to this serial killer's story, I would not have understood at least 80% of the movie. Understanding the significant details adds a specific intensity in every other scene, like you know something that the characters don't, and always keeps your eyes glued to the screen.

Although I can see how a few scenes were fairly slow, and the middle was not particularly engaging, Tarantino definitely had a purpose for each scene, even if I don't have all the answers. Even the smallest of details, like a gun holster of beer or the way the characters drive down the highway, reveals hidden thoughts, feelings, and backstories to the audience. If you do not catch onto these specific details, I can understand how some points seem overindulgent of "the golden age" of Hollywood. But the beautifully nostalgic filming in these moments is what makes this film not only entertaining, but a piece of art.

It's the juxtaposition of Sharron and Dalton's storyline, it's the wonder and the dimensional characters, it's the brilliant manipulation of the audience's emotions, causing you to laugh, scream, and cry (sometimes simultaneously) that makes this film utterly perfect.

The ending leaves you wondering "What if..." over and over again, questioning what reality would look like if these fictional characters of Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth actually existed. And I think that's when I realized how perfect the title was: it's a humorous, fairy-tale (although not completely violent-free) ending to the tragic fate of Hollywood in the 60s...

There may never be another filmmaker like Quentin Tarantino. If there is, we surely are in luck. But in all likelihood, future generations will just be students of his, and thank God for that fact alone. He's a filmmaker's filmmaker. His love of cinema verges on fetishism. His mission in life, it seems, was to keep his celluloid memories alive and in the American psyche in a time long past it's expiration date. So long as there's a reel and a way, Tarantino will give you a ticket to the greatest shows on earth, filled with filthy language and splattering gore violence. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is his 9th feature film. It's been announced as his second to last film. Rumor has it, if the film basks in an exponentially warm reception, this could be his last film. I pray we can all sit down one last time for the number 10, but if Quentin is seriously considering it, I'll warmly and happily accept that. The truth is, it's all been leading up to this moment. Quentin's personal crescendo, encapsulating all he has learned and all he has experienced as a man living in Hollywood and a successful filmmaker from within it. He went for it, and he did it. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is the best film of 2019, and easily his best film since Pulp Fiction. For me, nothing short of perfect. Everything I wanted it to be, and yet it still shocked and surprised me. I'm convinced that after the second and even third viewings, i'll still find new things to love about it. For nearly three hours in length, it grabs you up from your seat and never lets go.

Here's the story. The year is 1969. We meet the dashing Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his frisky stuntman sidekick, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). The dynamic duo of black and white television, and old, gunslinging cowboy movies. They were the best, they were the most handsome and they were the most talented. They were the best actors in Hollywood.. until now. After an unkindly meeting with his agent, Marvin Schwartz (played in outrageous fashion by the great Al Pacino), Rick is told in no uncertain terms that his time as a leading man is over. In other words, he's lost everything. Reduced to playing walk-on roles in late-60's TV shows, and B-grade Italian spaghetti westerns that nobody will ever see. Devastated, he returns to sulk in his luxury home in the Hollywood hills, while Cliff goes home to a dingy trailer next-door to a drive-in movie theater, to feed his loyal pit-bull Brandy. California Dreaming is not all that it seems. But wouldn't you know it, Rick Dalton has a new neighbor. One Roman Polanksi and his wife, superstar Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie). The contrast doesn't get much starker. As Rick Dalton disappears into the hazy California sunset, Tate and friends are dancing in the middle of it. We begin to alternate between these two stories. Rick Dalton's personal misery in landing mediocre roles, and Sharon Tate humbly enjoying her career at it's peak. She's so humble, in fact, she attends screenings of her own movies in town to kick her feet back and laugh with the audience. But in the middle of the high and hard times of show business, evil lurks in the background, ready to attack. That evil being the Manson family. Cliff, Rick and Sharon all have individual run-ins with Charlie and the gang, dismissing them as your average dirty hippies, not realizing they are all about to make a head-on collision with Helter Skelter.

From it's very beginning, Tarantino doesn't just show you how things were in 1969, he places you there right along with it. I was there with all of them. Many of the sequences here include interludes of driving with an authentic live radio blasting (not unlike K-Billy's Super Sounds of the 70's) the soundtrack of our film. Killer psychedelic tunes and radio ads narrate the few times where our characters stay silent, which in any Tarantino film, is brief. The first hour and a half of the film may even puzzle viewers with how little happens between the characters. But that's the point. Tarantino places the audience through multiple POVs in order to illustrate this time in Hollywood. It was a technique I didn't expect, but I adored it all the same, and if anything, I'll always remember these sequences first when I think of the film. DiCaprio lights up the screen as the manically depressed Rick Dalton who goes between arrogantly strutting on set as if he's still a hot shot, to wrecking his trailer in a fit of insecurity and rage. Brad Pitt is effortlessly cool as Cliff Booth. Dude is the suavest partner-in-crime since Paul Newman. Robbie plays Tate, and with the responsibility of playing the prime victim of one of the most gruesome and horrifying murders in American history, she needed to bring honor in this special tribute to her. Not only did she bring honor, but she also brought beauty, grace, wistful optimism and love. If she had a a song, it would probably be "Good Morning, Starshine", though we all know she was a Paul Revere and the Raiders fan. Tate represents here all that was good of the late 60's. That far-out, free-spirited, love your neighbor, flower power that most Californians at that time adopted.. so long as you didn't take it to the extreme. If you did, you'd turn into one of those goddamn dirty hippies.

That's the other thing that Tarantino explores in 1969. If you were worried about a film about the Manson family that glorifies them as super cool anti-heroes, you best sit down and let this film do the talking. Because Tarantino clearly doesn't just hate Charles Manson, he loathes him. The man who, in his mind, killed the 1960's and the Hollywood he loved. On that note, you might be asking yourself.. this film doesn't really reenact the events of that horrible night, does it? Well, I promise you, this is a spoiler free review, but lets just say the events of August 8th 1969 don't play out here as they did in history. What results is the biggest middle finger ever given to the Manson Family in an epic finale so mindbogglingly brutal and relentless, it will make your jaw drop.

I left the theater having felt like I drank a strong cocktail of Boogie Nights and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, ripped a bong and got awakened by a punch in the face. This is a movie, and a trip and an experience you won't soon forget. See this thing, right now. See it twice. See it three times. Invite in into your head and let it stay there and stew. Explore this tapestry of Americana, booze, sex, drugs, rock' n' roll and movies. You'll be exhausted, but you will be satisfied.