ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD: AN HOMAGE TO THE GOOD ‘OL DAYS
Quentin Tarantino’s penultimate film, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, features a star-studded cast with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, and many others.
This film does not fit into one specific genre, it can be considered as an amalgamation of many different subgenres. The chaos that ensues in this film makes this film worthy of the absurdist comedy tag, but also there is the essence of a biopic in this as the story of the Manson family and Sharon Tate, (played by Margot Robbie), is told as well.
The driving force of this film is the relationship between fading actor, Rick Dalton (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stuntman, Cliff Booth (played by Brad Pitt). The experiences they have in 1960s Hollywood, and them trying to survive in an ever-changing industry.
“It’s official old buddy, I’m a has been.”
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton delivers this line as he smokes a cigarette and reflects on the trainwreck that is his career in showbiz. The introspection Leo’s character does in this film serves as a foil to Quentin Tarantino’s inspiration behind making this film.
Quentin reminisces about his childhood with the kind of fondness that Rick lacks when it comes to his career as a film actor. Quentin has an immense appreciation for the golden era of Hollywood. When movies were only ever projected on 35mm film, and on a more personal note, he reminisces about the drives through Los Angeles with his mother and stepfather. Quentin translates these memories to film in seamless fashion. As for Rick Dalton, he looks back on his career with a profound sense of guilt as it is the decisions he made in the past that landed him in this predicament.
Leonardo DiCaprio stuns as usual, but the standout in this is Brad Pitt. We all know he’s effortlessly cool, but he exhibits a kind of swagger in this that hasn’t been seen in any of his previous outings. Margot Robbie is great as well, although she doesn’t get as much screentime as the two stars.
Two biggest strengths of this film are Quentin Tarantino’s direction and the cinematography. This film almost serves as a foray into Quentin’s subconscious, the memories he holds dearest. The film feels like it’s a happy memory imbued with a sense of tragedy as this is the Hollywood that is done and dusted. I will give extra points to any movie that is shot on film in this digital world.
The pacing gets a little distracting in some of the dialogue scenes, that’s really the only weakness I can think of.
Quentin Tarantino’s memoir on 1960s Hollywood is the best in his filmography in my opinion. I certainly recommend giving this a watch.
Rating: 4.8/5 stars
