Each of us, when walking away from a movie, takes something different than the stranger two seats over. Over time these takeaways begin to forge together, signaling within ourselves what our preferences, interests and sense of humor are. Allowing us to better pinpoint what we perceive as excellent, important and worthy of preservation. Writer/Director Quentin Tarantino for decades has been, not so subtly, signaling to filmgoers the world-over how he defines excellence, humor and quality. Hearkening back to the 1960s his ninth film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is his latest feature and most overt attempt he has made at highlighting the world surrounding film, the films themselves and, for better or for worse, their lasting cultural impact.
A who’s who of a cast, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood showcases examples of studio executives, cult followers, directors, actors and, for the sake of this film, most importantly stunt doubles. A well rounded cast of notables, ranging from the late charm of Luke Perry to a universal puzzle piece like Dakota Fanning, makes every scene feel fresh, engaging and wondrously humorous. Unfortunately there is not enough meat for everyone to chew on, thus leaving you as a viewer longing for more from certain people. At the end of the day this film belongs to an actor unsure of his future Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his scene-stealing stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Seemingly a one-sided relationship that grows throughout the movie, maturing to the point where I could have stayed another two hours with these two continuing their charismatic duet of banter and quirks.
Throughout his filmography Tarantino has displayed an instinctive ability to tell stories that feel different, but still has his signature written all over them. A signature that shines through in a multitude of sub-genres including spaghetti westerns, samurai films and, in this case, revisionist history. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, whether intentional or not, feels like a sub-genre infused cocktail that spans his entire filmography and remains absolute in its effort to honor and emulate the B-movies of the era it inhabits. It is a film that serves as an ode while also providing a unique and original spin on early Hollywood, its archetypes and a slice of the 1960s zeitgeist.
Centering Rick and Cliffs story around the time of the Manson murders had myself and others, justifiably so, hesitant. Would it end up being overdramatized or glorify the victims deaths in anyway? I found this movie did the exact opposite, but almost to a fault. Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) is present in this movie, and aside from a handful of sporadic scenes of her dancing, Tate and Robbie are seemingly wasted. For better or worse, her presence keeps the the knowledge of the looming horror we are all anticipating fresh in our minds. However, as stated earlier, with revisionist history aiming to subvert that looming horror it leaves Tate nothing more than a mere ill-defined vessel interweaving throughout. In the end, left only to serve one of our two leads.
Tarantino, I’d argue, is a genre himself. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood further supports that claim, unfortunately when nearly every outing is stellar it creates an expectation. History will judge his filmography almost exclusively against itself. For the expectations I have grown accustomed to when watching his films, I would have to say this entry falls right in the middle. For a guy who has made a career off of crafting unique characters and unforgettable dialogue he juggles Tate, the person who you could argue is the glue to a story like this.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood feels like the movie Tarantino has been yearning to make since he was a child. Highlighting a directors infatuation with its subject matter, environment and inspirations. It is a film that relishes and boasts about its time period. This film stands out amongst the crowd today, and only time will tell if it has the arsenal to endure like his other works. It is a whimsical tale of fiction that wistfully walks its own path. Taking liberties with history and molding them to serve this fairy tale, and whether or not missteps are taken the journey to the end is worth the wait.
Rating: 3.5/5
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