Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Run-time: 161 minutes
It is no surprise that I see a lot of films. Invited to advanced screening after advanced screening, I have the honour of viewing a wide variety of stories, under the caveat that I eventually write a critical piece on them. As soon as I had the chance to finally watch Tarantino’s latest, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, I hurriedly put my name down and looked forward to getting the honour to review it (even if film festival crowds and US critics have already had the pleasure of watching this film months ago). With most films, I figure out what I am going to say pretty quickly after the credits begin to roll—it was entertaining enough, was trying too hard or too little, had some pacing issues, etc. However, as I saw the ‘written and directed by: Quentin Tarantino’ card flash on screen at the end of the two-and-a-half hours I had spent battling a numb arse in the cinema, I had no idea what to think.
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood follows Hollywood actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt-man/best buddy Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). The rest of the film revolves around them going about their daily business in 1960s Hollywood. Oh, and also, Dalton lives next to Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie). Plot-wise, the film exists in a surreal mundanity; vignettes of each character make up the majority of the run-time, there are flashbacks-within-flashbacks, and a multitude of plot threads are left hanging. Obviously a love-letter to 1960s Hollywood, the film is full to the brim with nostalgia, pastiche, and homage. Everything does seem lovingly crafted, and even though some directorial decisions were downright bonkers (the use of voice-over is erratic, we linger far too long on Sharon Tate watching her own movie, and we have a time-skip three quarters of the way through the film), I did enjoy my time watching it.
Most of my enjoyment comes directly from the performances and character work. Dalton and Booth are both incredibly charming and complex, and Pitt and DiCaprio definitely live up to their reputations as fantastic character actors. Margot Robbie also brings her A-game to Sharon Tate, emanating a beautiful, wholesome glow in every scene she steals. I found that my eyes were constantly glued to the screen, and the magnetism of the performers is probably the main reason behind my fascination with the content.
It is a struggle to attempt to describe my thoughts and feelings about this film. The thing is just… messy, but like a Jackson Pollock painting, I found myself unable to look away. Did I enjoy my time watching it? Well, yes, I did. But do I know why? Not in the slightest. If one thing is for sure, nine films and twenty years later, Tarantino still continues to surprise me. If you are thinking of watching this film, definitely do—only you can figure out what you think of it.
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