by Adam McPartlan
There are a few things about Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood that remind you it’s from writer/director Quentin Tarantino: voiceover narration, style of film shots, extreme violence (if only in two places). Nevertheless, it is not as funny as other works of his; the violence is sparing; it attaches a few deeper meanings to the work; and, personally, the ending made me tear up, something no other Tarantino film has ever (or should ever) do. Overall, the movie is just an enjoyable time, and one that may very well land Tarantino his first Best Picture win.
There are a few things about Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood that remind you it’s from writer/director Quentin Tarantino: voiceover narration, style of film shots, extreme violence (if only in two places). Nevertheless, it is not as funny as other works of his; the violence is sparing; it attaches a few deeper meanings to the work; and, personally, the ending made me tear up, something no other Tarantino film has ever (or should ever) do. Overall, the movie is just an enjoyable time, and one that may very well land Tarantino his first Best Picture win.
The movie centers around an aging Western film star, Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stuntman, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Booth’s questionable past hurts his chances at finding work, while Dalton’s beloved characters find him a few new doors and chances at reviving his career. In another storyline happening at the same time, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) is experiencing her rise to stardom as her new film hits theaters. She joins a showing of the movie The Wrecking Crew to see how it turned out; she basks in the reactions of the audience when her character on screen does something, quietly rejoicing that she has done her job well. What unfolds for the men is a nice story about reclaiming your life and what-ifs; what unfolds for Tate is a story that teaches us the value of life and how beautiful it can be.
The acting of all involved is wonderful. DiCaprio and Pitt are fantastic as western buddies riding off into the sunset together. Still, DiCaprio’s real shining moment was in his scenes with the young Julia Butters, star of American Housewife. As an older actor, his character’s encounter with the next generation of actor helps him find new depths in his own work. The pair work together wonderfully, and mark easily the best scene in the whole movie (aside from the ending few minutes). Robbie embodies the persona of Tate beautifully. She was known for her kindness and bubbly personality, always smiling and just happy to be alive. This may end up as the smallest speaking role to ever win Best Supporting Actress, because watching Robbie act in this role makes you smile and not want to stop.
Many have taken issue with Robbie’s small speaking role. Tate’s character is a major piece of the film, but the speaking portion of the role does not match Robbie’s screen time. Personally, I find this to be a deliberate choice on Tarantino’s part. It should convey to audiences, “Sharon Tate, we hardly knew you, but we sure wish we did.” At the time of Tate’s murder, she was regarded as one of Hollywood’s brightest newcomers. With so few films on her resume up to her passing, America (and the world) never really got to know her as well as we would have liked. The lack of dialogue for Robbie’s character works as a way to show just how little audiences actually knew Tate. Her actions and body language serve to make audiences wish even more that they got to know her just a little bit more, if only through the prism of film.
For all this, I believe this is Tarantino’s greatest film. His writing of each character, as well as his slightly childish rewriting of history, give us a great final product: a film about understanding you cannot always be the greatest, or great; about respect for youth; about working hard and differently, even when you don’t want to; and about enjoying life and everything that comes with it. It also, for the first time in a Tarantino film, has meaning behind his over-the-top gore: senseless violence that undoes an act of even greater senseless violence. This film will find itself on the Oscar stage more than once in 2020.
My personal favorite of Tarantino’s will always be Inglorious Basterds, but Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood hits so many different emotional points that it’s very hard to deny the beauty of it. It’s also very easy to acknowledge this is something much different than his other pieces. The movie is wonderful, not as an homage to the way things were, but as a tribute to Sharon Tate, and a wish for the way things could have been. It’s just a shame the wish can’t come true.
The acting of all involved is wonderful. DiCaprio and Pitt are fantastic as western buddies riding off into the sunset together. Still, DiCaprio’s real shining moment was in his scenes with the young Julia Butters, star of American Housewife. As an older actor, his character’s encounter with the next generation of actor helps him find new depths in his own work. The pair work together wonderfully, and mark easily the best scene in the whole movie (aside from the ending few minutes). Robbie embodies the persona of Tate beautifully. She was known for her kindness and bubbly personality, always smiling and just happy to be alive. This may end up as the smallest speaking role to ever win Best Supporting Actress, because watching Robbie act in this role makes you smile and not want to stop.
Many have taken issue with Robbie’s small speaking role. Tate’s character is a major piece of the film, but the speaking portion of the role does not match Robbie’s screen time. Personally, I find this to be a deliberate choice on Tarantino’s part. It should convey to audiences, “Sharon Tate, we hardly knew you, but we sure wish we did.” At the time of Tate’s murder, she was regarded as one of Hollywood’s brightest newcomers. With so few films on her resume up to her passing, America (and the world) never really got to know her as well as we would have liked. The lack of dialogue for Robbie’s character works as a way to show just how little audiences actually knew Tate. Her actions and body language serve to make audiences wish even more that they got to know her just a little bit more, if only through the prism of film.
For all this, I believe this is Tarantino’s greatest film. His writing of each character, as well as his slightly childish rewriting of history, give us a great final product: a film about understanding you cannot always be the greatest, or great; about respect for youth; about working hard and differently, even when you don’t want to; and about enjoying life and everything that comes with it. It also, for the first time in a Tarantino film, has meaning behind his over-the-top gore: senseless violence that undoes an act of even greater senseless violence. This film will find itself on the Oscar stage more than once in 2020.
My personal favorite of Tarantino’s will always be Inglorious Basterds, but Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood hits so many different emotional points that it’s very hard to deny the beauty of it. It’s also very easy to acknowledge this is something much different than his other pieces. The movie is wonderful, not as an homage to the way things were, but as a tribute to Sharon Tate, and a wish for the way things could have been. It’s just a shame the wish can’t come true.