MPAA Rating: R/ Genre: Comedy-Drama/ Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant, Julia Butters, Austin Butler, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern, Mike Moh, Luke Perry, Damian Lewis, Al Pacino, Nicholas Hammond, Samantha Robinson, Rafał Zawierucha, Lorenza Izzo, Costa Ronin, Damon Herriman, Lena Dunham, Madisen Beaty, Mikey Madison, James Landry Hébert, Maya Hawke, Victoria Pedretti, Sydney Sweeney, Kansas Bowling, Danielle Harris, Harley Quinn Smith, Rumer Willis, Dreama Walker, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Rachel Redleaf, Rebecca Gayheart, Scoot McNairy, Kurt Russell, Zoë Bell, Quentin Tarantino, Clifton Collins Jr., Omar Doom, Clu Gulager, Perla Haney-Jardine, Martin Kove, Michael Madsen, James Remar, Brenda Vaccaro, Corey Burton/ Runtime: 161 minutes

I think it can safely be said dear reader that if there was ever a list made of the filmmakers who were avid fans of cinema first and a director second I would not be surprised in the least if the name Quentin Tarantino was either near or at the very top. I say that because here is a guy who, ever since his debut film Reservoir Dogs all the way back in 1992, has consistently made movies that yes are very much their own distinct cinematic entity, but also act as delightful throwbacks to various other cinematic properties the director himself has enjoyed over the years. It is with that in mind that I now come to the slice of cinema of his I am reviewing for you today, 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and honestly this is perhaps the first film of his that is less a tribute to a particular film genre and more a heartfelt fairy tale of sorts about a particular time and place (Hollywood in the late 60s) that is very near and dear to this man’s heart even IF he may or may not take a creative liberty or 2 along the way as well as deploy a lot of his usual tricks in the process. Even with that in mind however, this is still one heck of a good time to be had. Yes there may be some issues with it, but the work behind the scenes in bringing this world from the past to life is absolutely phenomenal in every avenue, and the work by the immense both in size and in talent cast in front of the camera is, as par for the course, fantastic (even if there are a few issues in terms of a couple of portrayals). Suffice it to say Once Upon a Time in Hollywood might not be for everyone, but for those of you on its wavelength I can promise you will find a lot to enjoy here.

The plot is as follows: Taking us all the way back in time to the long-ago year of 1969, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood focuses its sprawling yarn on a trinity of characters with the first being a guy by the name of Rick Dalton. Mr. Dalton, we are able to perceive, is a man who has some degree of acting talent to his name as evidenced by his role in a hit Western TV show known as Bounty Law and a few cinematic entries to his filmography, but who also is cursed with both a little bit of a drinking problem as well as a crippling amount of insecurity in himself let alone his abilities as an actor. As a result, we see that following the cancellation of his TV show, Rick’s prospects have started to dry up more than just a tad and thus left him deeply concerned/anxious that maybe just maybe his time in the spotlight has finally come to an end. Something that the second character in our saga happens to know more about than pretty much anyone else in the world. That’s because he is a guy by the name of Cliff Booth. An affable enough guy who, besides being Rick’s stunt double on Bounty Law, is also Rick’s chauffeur, confidant, motivator, drinking buddy, and basically the only real friend Rick has in this world. Yet unlike the anxiety-stricken Rick, we see that Cliff really doesn’t have the same worries. Instead, this is a guy who is content to just live life on his terms even if his employment prospects as an immensely skilled stunt man have dried up as well, but more so due to a nasty rumor that he bumped off his wife in the heat of a marital spat gone wrong. Now the third character that we follow, to some degree, is someone who happens to be Rick’s new next-door neighbor on his street of Cielo Drive and that would be a woman by the name of Sharon Tate (yes as in THAT Sharon Tate). A woman who, as compared to the down on his luck Dalton, is very much being viewed by Hollywood as a promising up and comer thanks in part to roles in such films as Valley of the Dolls from 1967 and the Dean Martin-led spy flick The Wrecking Crew from 1968. Suffice it to say that our film is a look then at three days in the lives of our three main characters as they mix, mingle, and intersect with various individuals in the land of movie magic during that distinct time in cinematic history even as slowly but surely a dark and ominous cloud approaches that could have the potential to change their lives and the world around them forever…..

Now right off the bat, you should know that the work done behind the camera does do a wonderful job of operating with a surprising degree of suspense around every moment (due in large part to the presence of Sharon Tate as an integral character in the narrative as well as the time period this is taking place….if you know you know). At the same time though, I am not going to lie when I say that how this movie chooses to approach THAT particular incident is going to be extremely divisive. Indeed there are some who will have no issues with it, there are some who will be offended, and then there are some who will just sit there floored and think “well….I just saw that”. At the same time, it should also be said that the ending of this film was, for a movie that ran over 2 and a half hours, one that feels surprisingly rushed, straight out of nowhere, and yet oddly not as much of a detriment as you might think. This is because the truly hefty and vibrant material is found before that courtesy of getting to see a particular day in the life of our heroes that is both comfortably familiar yet also enlightening all at once. Sure you get moments like Rick and Cliff spending quality bro time together, but you also get moments like Rick spending time conversating with an child co-star who inspires him to bring his A-game in a way seldom few have as of late whilst also seeing him throw a wild tantrum in his trailer following a line flubbing that scares him into thinking he’s going to be booted from the show and waste yet another opportunity to show that he’s still a talented actor. Suffice it to say that Tarantino, as par for the course with him, manages to give his cast in front of the camera quite a few moments that allow them to shine and showcase a sense of emotion that this film so desperately needs. We also see that Tarantino does a wonderful job of giving us moments that are fueled by a delightful vibe of unpredictability as to what exactly is going to happen. One of the finest of these is where we see Cliff going to the Spahn Ranch with a hippy chick he picked up and that a certain group has changed into their camp of sorts and which Tarantino decides to turn into a showdown of sorts that would feel right at home in any entry in the Western genre. Sure, the moment doesn’t really go anywhere, but there is still a joy present on the part of the filmmaking team regardless. A concept that incidentally could describe this entire movie come to think. Indeed this is one film where the phrase “life is about the journey not the destination” could be a religious movement. I say that because from the nostalgic winks and nods, the delightful side stories, and the incredible manner in which Tarantino and his creative team manage to recreate this distinct era from the vibrant work by the cinematography department, the finger-snapping delightful soundtrack made up of hits from the decade, and even how the production design team manages to wind the clock back and effectively transforms L.A. of the 2010s into L.A. of the late 60s this is one film where the journey is definitely more satisfying than where it winds up due to everything we get to witness and soak up as part of it.

Of course, the other big part of what makes a Tarantino movie soar the way that they do is thanks in large part to the phenomenal talent that he is able to get in front of the camera. Suffice it to say that this slice of cinema is no different in that regard. This starts with the role of Rick Dalton where we get a wonderful performance from Leonardo DiCaprio as this actor who could be genuinely great, but who consistently is letting his anxiety and other demons get the best of him. As a result, we get a performance that yes has its moments where Leo just lets his inner petulant man child out to great comedic effect (including one scene that will have you rolling), but it also is one that has a brilliantly subtle layer of heartbreaking relatability to it that makes it yet another terrific entry in this iconic talent’s filmography. Ultimately though, for me the lead role that walks away with the film is the role of Cliff Booth as portrayed by fellow screen icon Brad Pitt. Indeed, it isn’t just that this guy legit looks like he could be this part in real life, including a scene that will surely make women swoon and men younger than him green with envy. Rather, it’s that in Pitt’s hands this guy is affable, relaxed, easy-going, and ultimately someone that the movie goer can really form a connection with that makes you genuinely care about him and what happens to him as the film goes along as if he were a real human being and not just a character in a movie. Suffice it to say that it is a wonderful performance from an actor who has definitely given us more than his fair share of those over the course of his career. Now I will say that Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate is a great performance, but there is a caveat to that. That being that, although I understand why people are upset she didn’t have more dialogue than she does, I also understand to an extent what Tarantino is going for here. Indeed the character of Tate isn’t just meant to be a character in this. Rather, she (or her level of stardom I should say) is meant to be an ideal for the character of Rick to consistently be chasing throughout this movie. By that I mean, there are moments in the movie where we see that Tate is seen as someone whose star is on the rise and who has the world at her feet in a way that Dalton wishes could be his to say nothing of a representation in the minds of some of the other characters of what the new wave of up and comers is bringing to Hollywood. Therefore, when looking at the performance in that regard, it becomes a bit clearer that this is supposed to be a tribute to the loss of both a phenomenal young woman as well as the talent that she got to showcase in cinema tragically all too briefly and in that regard, this is a fairly fitting performance. Yet even when looking at a lot of the wonderful minor players in this from screen icons like Kurt Russell, a delightfully smarmy to an extent Al Pacino, and Bruce Dern to newer kids on the block like Harley Quinn Smith, Margaret Qualley, Austin Butler, and Maya Hawke it’s clear that Tarantino’s eye for talent is still just as sharp as ever.

All in all I’m not going to lie to you dear reader: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is one slice of cinema that most assuredly is not going to be for everyone. Indeed not only is this slice of cinema’s distinct narrative style not one that people who prefer a straightforward, a-z with few to no stops in polka dot weird type of narrative are going to be willing to embrace, but I have no doubt that in my mind that there are going to be those who see how this slice of cinema chooses to wrap itself up as either extremely divisive at best or just downright insulting at worst. At the same time though dear reader, this IS a slice of cinema that is coming from the mind of the same guy who gave us Inglorious Basterds so, without going into spoilers for either of these slices of cinema, can we really say that we as movie lovers are all that surprised? At any rate however, I should say that yes, I did find a few teeny tiny little issues with this particular film, but ultimately none of them really proved to be a huge enough issue that it was detrimental to how I viewed the final product as a whole. Indeed the work done behind the camera is absolutely phenomenal in its recreation of how the land of movie magic looked in terms of everything from filming sets, cars, iconic locales from the era, and even the attire being worn by the various characters and sounded especially with the really rockin’ soundtrack that pulsates throughout this slice of cinema’s 161 minute runtime. As for the work done in front of the camera, each and every one of this slice of cinema’s truly stacked cast manages to be absolutely terrific from Leo and Brad who, as Rick and Cliff respectively, are an absolute blast as the dynamic cinematic bro duo we as movie goers had no idea we needed but now we definitely need to see more of, Margot Robbie who is absolutely dazzling as Sharon Tate even though she may not have as many lines as the character deserved, and everyone else in between no matter how big or small their role in the fabric of this film’s expansive narrative may be from Kurt Russell and Al Pacino to Austin Butler and Dakota Fanning to name but a few examples. Suffice it to say therefore that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is more than just another genuinely great entry in its helmer’s filmography. Rather, it is also a loving and truly exquisite tribute to a bygone era in the realm of movie magic the likes of which I do not think we will ever see again as tragic as that may be. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Once Upon a Time in Hollywood a solid 4 out of 5.