(film review) - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

I finally got to clap eyes on this movie strangely enough, as it did leave the cinema.  However, this one was re-released with additional footage and although I didn't see the original release, I was still happy to bask in the genious that is a 'Tarantino Movie" again, hoping this one to be as good as others he has directed.

The Hateful Eight was good, but just that.  I didn't leave the cinema wow'ed unlike Django Unchained, Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, Jackie Brown, Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs.  Granted, I didn't see a few of his earlier ones in the cinema and had a coughing fit during Inglorious Basterds and all now, I still haven't seen it.  But as for this movie, hmmm, it was very Tarantino.   Let me explain.

Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a actor now past his "prime" having done acting jobs after acting jobs but not receiving the recognition he believe he deserves and finding it difficult to navigate the changing film industry.  Along with his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) who is also finding it difficult to find work due to a "rumoured" troubled past, they both live in Hollywood trying to get work in 1969 around the same time as the murder of Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) an up and coming model and actress.

First of all, although everything around Sharon Tate could be regarded as background "filler" or "noise", the film compiles various stories to come together to a climax at the very end and nothing short of what you'd expect from a Tarantino movie and also very satisfying.  The music is great, the dialogue is great.  There is a one-on-one with a little girl Rick has, and it simply shows intelligent and clever writing where Tarantino allows certain moments between characters to play out.  I mean, Rick Dalton is actually a GREAT actor and there is a scene in a trailer where DiCaprio goes to town and it's something we have all done in our lives (likely) and it's great and also funny.  So, real, he captures what that moment is like.  Not to mention how funny this movie is.  It doesn't try to be hilarious and some elements of the movie night be too inside-baseball, but it's the clever writing and situational humour that Tarantino is known for which makes elements of this film excellent.

The way the film is shot, it starts as an ad (as if you were watching TV back in the day on the box) and all you see is various ads throughout this movie along with reflection moments and even when we are on the set to a film, it's shot as though you are the camera watching the performance (which is the case), but takes on some old school filming tropes and it was at that moment, I wondered, "where is the film crew", but Tarantino weaves the filming of his movie and filming of a movie withing a movie to act as though we are just watching a movie that isn't the actual movie, brilliantly (if you follow).  There is a scene involving a bunch of hippies in which Tarantino did his best to lead the audience in lots of different directions which involved Brad Pitt who was also excellent in this movie.  The three main cast were spot on in their performance and it was nice to have Al Pacino sprinkled in there.  Althoughtl there wasn't a lot for Margot to do, what she delivered with what she had was great. She is a great actor and once again paired with DiCaprio since Wolf of Wall Street.

The film is very slow pacing and at times can be a little annoying as I did tend to get a little restless, but its the attention to detail.  It's the attention to camera angles and movements.  It's the attention to dialogue and expression.  There is a dog in the movie that was sooo well trained and then the ending climax to the film when everything came together was absolute gold.  It was Tarantino. Soo Tarantino and I loved it.

I believe it is important to remember that this movie is a fairytale based on characters in and around the true events of a real life tragedy that doesn't romanticise the tragedy in any way nor make light of it.  I left the movie thinking, "that was long, but I enjoyed it", especially with the additional scenes after and during the credits, but having really enjoyed it, I would definitely watch it again.