Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
A Star-Studded Fable Or Historical Fan Fiction?
Hollywood's a tough town to try and make a living. It's even tougher when your star is seemingly fading, as believes actor Rick Dalton, portrayed beautifully by Leonardo DiCaprio.With his faithful companion and stuntman Cliff Booth, played by Brad Pitt, Rick tries to navigate through a career of Spaghetti Westerns, TV Pilots, and his own existential crisis. Meanwhile, young expectant starlet Sharon Tate, played by Margot Robbie, goes about her apparently charmed life, unaware of a dark specter looming over her future.
Quentin Tarantino's 9th film brings us what may appear on the surface to be an ode to Hollywood's last golden age, the 1960's. Looking past the cameras, the fame, money and high-rolling lifestyles, Hollywood is a town that, even to this day, will chew you up and spit you out without a second thought when it finds it has no more use for you. And opportunities don't come often, so when they need
The production value is top notch, with the styles, decor, and even authentic sounding radio stations playing the music of the time. Tarantino naturally nails the time period with classic cars and streets and shops and even movie theaters that look like they pop right out of a history book. Plus, the way the movie is filmed, it lends itself a little extra authenticity in looking more like a 1969 film than something from 2019.
Those familiar with Tarantino's signature style can spot them a mile away; long takes, mountains of dialog, and of course, gratuitous feet shots. Though this movie isn't quite like the rest of Tarantino's filmography in that the usual criminal or unseemly element that usually makes up the acclaimed auteur's movies takes something of a backseat to show people who, while not angels, are not stone-cold killers. At least most of them aren't, anyway. They are people who eat at high-end restaurants, drive Cadillacs, go home and learn lines via tape recordings.
Leonardo DiCaprio gives us a likable but heavily flawed protagonist in Rick Dalton. He isn't strong-willed and world-hardened like Django, suave or cool like Vincent Vega or Jules Winfield. Rick is a victim of his own demons as well as the realization that he's getting older and being passed by as a leading man. An opening monologue by Al Pacino's film producer Marvin Schwarz regales us with the usual business of what happens when a TV star begins to head into the twilight of his career; taking dives for the new, up and coming new stars. It catalyzes Rick's purpose for the entire film. DiCaprio's performance gives us something of a more pathetic take on his insecure, affluent and greedy manchildren from Wolf Of Wall Street or Great Gatsby.
The rest of the acting is top-notch all around. Everyone brings in great performances. Brad Pitt's Cliff Booth comes off like the kind of guy Tyler Durden would've wanted to look like. Cool, unflappable, though not always all there. Ironically enough, he does get into an even-sided sparring match with Bruce Lee, played by Mike Moh in something more of a comedic impression than an actual portrayal.
For a large portion of the running time, we're taken through a single day where Rick tries to get his act straight while filming an episode of a western TV show, Booth fixes a TV antenna and visits The Manson Family hideout at an old filming ranch, and Sharon Tate has a nice day out watching The Wrecking Crew with her bare feet up on the seats and enjoying the reaction of the crowd around her. It does slow the pacing of the movie to a grinding halt, but it does provide the audience with a pitch-perfect demonstration of Rick's deterioration and his attempts to save a disastrous day on set.
The best scene comes from the scene where Rick is filming a scene of the old TV western "Lancer" it begins as though we, the audience, are watching the episode itself unfolding. The camera moves and repositions to its previous spot when Rick messes up his line. It's a visually captivating way to bring the audience in on some of the magic of bringing stories to life on the screen, while at the same time playing up Rick's downward spiral.
The less I say about the ending the better. Not because I think it's bad, it's actually a very well filmed and effectively brutal finale. Though I think most of the shock value comes from the majority of the movie being relatively tame, at least by the usual Tarantino fare. The speed and impact of the violence unleashed on film is gruesome, almost farcical, ending on a callback to an earlier scene that might've seemed like a one-off joke, but is set-up for those with a keen eye.
I imagine that bringing up not only the Manson "family" but conjuring up the memories of the tragic murder of Sharon Tate and her ex-boyfriend Jay Sebring (along with Wojciech Frykowski and his girlfriend Abigail Folger) might seem insensitive, and the thing is, it does add a bit of oncoming dread to the proceedings. Margot Robbie's portrayal of Sharon Tate makes her seem almost unreal, though she does exhibit a flaw or two (she uses her celebrity to go see a movie that she stars in in the theater without paying). The air surrounding her is infused with light, her voice welcoming and sweet.
Which brings me to probably one of my problems with this film. Margot Robbie is more playing Tarantino's idealized, almost manic-pixie-dream-girl version of Sharon Tate. She doesn't feel like a real character or add much to the movie except to let us know she existed and using the terrible tragedy that happened to her (amongst many others) by using our knowledge of history to play up an almost bittersweet sorrow. He essentially uses the real-life horror to drum up impending dread for a majority of the movie. Only for it to be yanked away in a few moments of cathartic, if not a bit excessive, over-the-top violence.
Those who've seen Inglorious Basterds know Quentin Tarantino is not averse to having original characters of his mete out extremely bloody vengeance on horrible people who've done horrible things. It's almost like historical fan fiction in a way, which can be seen as disrespectful to the memory of those who've passed. But I can also see the desire in wanting to right the wrongs of the past. I have no sympathy for the characters who meet their grisly ends and I think that's the point. It's Tarantino saying "These people aren't masterminds or innocent, led-astray malcontents. They're the scum of the Earth and should've been eradicated in the most satisfying way possible."
Overall, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is a love letter to Sharon Tate, 1969 Hollywood, and something of a eulogy for a starlet whose light was extinguished far too early told through the ups and downs of a man in way over his head.
Quentin Tarantino's 9th film brings us what may appear on the surface to be an ode to Hollywood's last golden age, the 1960's. Looking past the cameras, the fame, money and high-rolling lifestyles, Hollywood is a town that, even to this day, will chew you up and spit you out without a second thought when it finds it has no more use for you. And opportunities don't come often, so when they need
The production value is top notch, with the styles, decor, and even authentic sounding radio stations playing the music of the time. Tarantino naturally nails the time period with classic cars and streets and shops and even movie theaters that look like they pop right out of a history book. Plus, the way the movie is filmed, it lends itself a little extra authenticity in looking more like a 1969 film than something from 2019.
Those familiar with Tarantino's signature style can spot them a mile away; long takes, mountains of dialog, and of course, gratuitous feet shots. Though this movie isn't quite like the rest of Tarantino's filmography in that the usual criminal or unseemly element that usually makes up the acclaimed auteur's movies takes something of a backseat to show people who, while not angels, are not stone-cold killers. At least most of them aren't, anyway. They are people who eat at high-end restaurants, drive Cadillacs, go home and learn lines via tape recordings.
Leonardo DiCaprio gives us a likable but heavily flawed protagonist in Rick Dalton. He isn't strong-willed and world-hardened like Django, suave or cool like Vincent Vega or Jules Winfield. Rick is a victim of his own demons as well as the realization that he's getting older and being passed by as a leading man. An opening monologue by Al Pacino's film producer Marvin Schwarz regales us with the usual business of what happens when a TV star begins to head into the twilight of his career; taking dives for the new, up and coming new stars. It catalyzes Rick's purpose for the entire film. DiCaprio's performance gives us something of a more pathetic take on his insecure, affluent and greedy manchildren from Wolf Of Wall Street or Great Gatsby.
The rest of the acting is top-notch all around. Everyone brings in great performances. Brad Pitt's Cliff Booth comes off like the kind of guy Tyler Durden would've wanted to look like. Cool, unflappable, though not always all there. Ironically enough, he does get into an even-sided sparring match with Bruce Lee, played by Mike Moh in something more of a comedic impression than an actual portrayal.
For a large portion of the running time, we're taken through a single day where Rick tries to get his act straight while filming an episode of a western TV show, Booth fixes a TV antenna and visits The Manson Family hideout at an old filming ranch, and Sharon Tate has a nice day out watching The Wrecking Crew with her bare feet up on the seats and enjoying the reaction of the crowd around her. It does slow the pacing of the movie to a grinding halt, but it does provide the audience with a pitch-perfect demonstration of Rick's deterioration and his attempts to save a disastrous day on set.
The best scene comes from the scene where Rick is filming a scene of the old TV western "Lancer" it begins as though we, the audience, are watching the episode itself unfolding. The camera moves and repositions to its previous spot when Rick messes up his line. It's a visually captivating way to bring the audience in on some of the magic of bringing stories to life on the screen, while at the same time playing up Rick's downward spiral.
The less I say about the ending the better. Not because I think it's bad, it's actually a very well filmed and effectively brutal finale. Though I think most of the shock value comes from the majority of the movie being relatively tame, at least by the usual Tarantino fare. The speed and impact of the violence unleashed on film is gruesome, almost farcical, ending on a callback to an earlier scene that might've seemed like a one-off joke, but is set-up for those with a keen eye.
I imagine that bringing up not only the Manson "family" but conjuring up the memories of the tragic murder of Sharon Tate and her ex-boyfriend Jay Sebring (along with Wojciech Frykowski and his girlfriend Abigail Folger) might seem insensitive, and the thing is, it does add a bit of oncoming dread to the proceedings. Margot Robbie's portrayal of Sharon Tate makes her seem almost unreal, though she does exhibit a flaw or two (she uses her celebrity to go see a movie that she stars in in the theater without paying). The air surrounding her is infused with light, her voice welcoming and sweet.
Which brings me to probably one of my problems with this film. Margot Robbie is more playing Tarantino's idealized, almost manic-pixie-dream-girl version of Sharon Tate. She doesn't feel like a real character or add much to the movie except to let us know she existed and using the terrible tragedy that happened to her (amongst many others) by using our knowledge of history to play up an almost bittersweet sorrow. He essentially uses the real-life horror to drum up impending dread for a majority of the movie. Only for it to be yanked away in a few moments of cathartic, if not a bit excessive, over-the-top violence.
Those who've seen Inglorious Basterds know Quentin Tarantino is not averse to having original characters of his mete out extremely bloody vengeance on horrible people who've done horrible things. It's almost like historical fan fiction in a way, which can be seen as disrespectful to the memory of those who've passed. But I can also see the desire in wanting to right the wrongs of the past. I have no sympathy for the characters who meet their grisly ends and I think that's the point. It's Tarantino saying "These people aren't masterminds or innocent, led-astray malcontents. They're the scum of the Earth and should've been eradicated in the most satisfying way possible."
Overall, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is a love letter to Sharon Tate, 1969 Hollywood, and something of a eulogy for a starlet whose light was extinguished far too early told through the ups and downs of a man in way over his head.
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