Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: Tarantino's Still Got It!
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is the 9th film to come from infamous yet ever-so-beloved filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, who supposedly has one last directorial effort left in him. For now, we can appreciate what he has given us in this 160-minute trip back to 1969 Los Angeles. This film was released in theaters nationwide on July 26, 2019.
The cast includes many talented people, the likes of which consist of individuals who have previously worked with Tarantino or are newcomers to his set. Among the more well-known thespians in this picture are Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Kurt Russell, Al Pacino, Dakota Fanning, Margaret Qualley, Bruce Dern, Timothy Olyphant, and Luke Perry.
The film’s page on IMDb lists this as the official synopsis:
“A faded television actor and his stunt double strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood's Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.”
This particular review of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is 12 minutes long in the video version, but I have written a short summary here in case you would prefer to read. Either way, I hope you enjoy hearing what I have to say on the latest Quentin Tarantino joint.
There’s something truly special to be said about experiencing a 60s-set Tarantino joint on a 35mm print, let alone at the only theater in State 48 to exhibit such a screening.
The gloriously refreshing effect of witnessing genuine film grains, scratches, and burns is punctuated by cinematography that clearly evokes the depicted era. Given the rarity of seeing genuine images like that, I oftentimes had to turn around in my seat to make sure that the old school film reels in the projection booth above were indeed spinning. I was completely mesmerized by the effect, which was made even better by the meticulous ways in which shots were framed, sets were designed, and an era was clearly evoked.
Aside from that, the story is a definite fantasy, but Tarantino and company managed to enliven it in such a way that made it tangible. All in all, this truly felt like a film from the same time period as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Easy Rider.
Yet, how much does it really work as a narrative? Well, there’s the rub: as many have said and will continue to say, Tarantino’s films hardly ever play by the rules. This probably most directly applies to his latest effort, for it comes off less as a structural experiment than a story that just keeps on going from one scene to the next. Sometimes that means the pacing and rhythm feels off, with certain editing choices driving home a great joke or an awkward, unnecessary shift. This also felt like his least effective use of voiceover yet, coming across in the transition from Act 2 and 3 as a lazy attempt to bridge a time jump.
I also felt that, at least in terms of the films I’ve seen of his (which exclude Jackie Brown and Death Proof), this was his least energetic and purposeful work. Not that this means the experience was boring, for it certainly was not, I just noticed that his use of language and scene composition had less of a spark than some of his previous films.
Nonetheless, the highs of the great visuals, scenes that made the entire audience roar with laughter, Cliff and Rick’s characterization, and the unforgettable ending made up for the weak points. Still better than most stuff that has come out in the past couple of months, anyway.
SCORE: B+
AGE RECOMMENDATION: Quentin Tarantino’s work is generally much more violent, disturbing, and profane than this, but I still would not recommend this for younger audiences. Reasons for this include scenes of drug consumption, many uses of strong profanities, and a somewhat prolonged sequence of graphic violence at the end. Most of the violent acts depicted in the climax are obscured by darkness and deliberate camera angles, but the actions, screams, and sound effects practically tell you everything you need to know. With that, what’s seen and heard is not pretty, sure, but it can be interpreted as cathartic, hilarious, tasteful, or all of the above. (16+)
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