Genre:
Comedy, Drama
Produced by:
David Heyman, Quentin Tarantino, Shannon McIntosh
Directed by:
Quentin Tarantino
Written by:
Quentin
Tarantino
Production Company: Columbia Pictures
Starring: Leonardo
DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Dakota Fanning, Al Pacino, Timothy
Olyphant, Kurt Russell, Lorenza Izzo, Bruce Dern, Margaret Qualley
Runtime: 160 minutes
SYNOPSIS:
Set during the twilight of the Hollywood
golden age era in 1969 Los Angeles, washed-up television star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his long-time
stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt)
are struggling to find their way back into an ever-changing entertainment
industry that simply has no time for them. Their world is further turned upside
down when up-and-coming actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) moves into the house next to Rick’s. That implicates
them in a weird situation where they might just have the chance to dabble with
history.
REVIEW:
Quentin
Tarantino’s
rise from indie obscurity to a mainstream name is one of the real Hollywood
success stories. Back when filmmakers were playing it safe with big-budget studio
films, he stood out as the outlier, redefining the way the industry looked at cinema
with exciting independent outings such as Reservoir
Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction
(1994), just to name a few. And the fact that, in a career that spans almost
two decades, many of his work would still endure while some of the bigger blockbusters
have fallen by the wayside kind of says it all. What’s more impressive about Tarantino’s longevity is how he stays
true to his roots. Whereas many filmmakers would jump at the chance of making
intellectual property-driven films, he went against the tide. His entire body
of work so far has been built around nothing but original films. He is perhaps the
last living proof that there remains a market for purely filmmaker-driven films.
Tarantino is also forever
associated with controversy. His penchant for glorifying violence and tinkering
with history continues to attract as much detractors as admirers. It is no
different with his latest original and eagerly anticipated endeavor Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, in which
he tackles the Manson family murders. It is his ninth, supposedly penultimate film
before his self-imposed retirement and has, for a filmmaker who is used to
assembling star-studded productions, probably the biggest cast in a Tarantino offering yet, with the likes
of Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, amongst many, leading the
A-list level party. At the same time, the ripple effect of the murders, even in
its 50th anniversary, is still fresh in people’s mind, to the point
that seeing such horrific true crime portrayed onscreen, particularly in a Tarantino film, sounds like a sickening
prospect.
Yet Once
Upon a Time … in Hollywood barely
scratches the surface when it comes to the nitty gritty aspect of the Manson
family murders as the tragedy often takes a backseat to Tarantino’s signature fanboyish exercise in genre homage. It’s a
high-spirited satirical romp that throws names such as Sharon Tate, the Manson
family and all of the who’s who in the 1960’s into the blender as his ideal excuse
for saluting cinema of a long-gone era. His devotion to winking and nodding at
every popular 1960’s film genres reflects a film that’s constantly shifting in
tone. It is as much of a laugh-out-loud riot as it is a melancholic drama. It
is brimming with as much of the Tarantino-esque
historical revisionism as some real-world relevance. It hits more often than it
misses with every genre beats that it traverses on.
In that sense, it’s hard to categorize Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood into any
specific genre, making the film almost refreshingly unpredictable at every turn.
But Tarantino manages to keep his
jumble of intriguing ideas as consistent as possible with the entire film’s breezy,
lighthearted rhythm, which is rather unusual for a filmmaker known for
hard-edged, foul-mouthed content. His approach seems like a throwback to the old
1960’s Rat Pack-inspired hangout movies.
Central to achieving its summertime chill
vibe here is the way Tarantino toys
with narrative structure. His screenplay is an original not only literally, but
also creatively. The film has a meditative, slice of life sensibility to it, where
coherent storytelling goes out the window in favor of character moments. All it
has to offer in regards to the plot is its premise and anything beyond that
comprises of nothing more than a series of loosely-connected vignettes that’s
meant to progress character arcs as opposed to plot points. Its snail-like, meandering
pace is intentional to encapsulate the tone and setting, creating the illusion
of a film that can sometimes feel like it’s going nowhere story-wise.
Tarantino’s work in Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood brings
to mind Jerry Seinfeld and his
thirtysomething gang’s television work in their famous sitcom Seinfeld (1989-1998) in how they both wholeheartedly champion
plot-less nothingness. And somehow, he can muster something entertaining out of
that nothingness, which is a testament to Tarantino’s
talent as an entertainer.
Besides its unique narrative structure, Once Upon A Time … in Hollywood’s
screenplay once again demonstrates Tarantino’s
flair for dialogue.
In fact, his skewed attempt at a 1960’s
Hollywood fairy tale is far more reliant on his trademark witty wordplay than
any of his past work. Imagine the dialogue-driven first half of his previous
film the Hateful Eight (2015), stretch
that into a two hour and forty minutes long feature-length film and that sums
up this particular Tarantino
experience. Here, he is more than
willing to stop the story dead on its tracks and spend an absurdly long amount
of time on characters just engaging in mundane monologue and discussions.
There is even a good chunk of five to
ten minutes in a bar scene that’s solely dedicated to Hollywood agent Marvin
Schwarz (Al Pacino) recounting his
experience watching his client Rick Dalton’s films. As far as real time goes,
not much is happening in this scene. But it’s the presentation that prevents
such talky scene from getting boring. He makes effective use of the cinematic
language to give some comic verve and propulsive energy in the old man’s
rambling. As Schwarz is describing his favorite scenes in his client’s films,
his narration is beautifully interspersed with faux footage from Rick Dalton’s
films that should leave anyone who loves the era and sendups of such era wallowing
in nostalgia and howling with laughter.
But Tarantino
does not hesitate to switch things up with the way he films dialogue-driven
sequences. There are several other dialogue sequences where he uses long shots to
help draw the audience even deeper into the moment. One scene that stands out
is when Rick banters with Trudi Fraser (Julia
Butters), an eight year old actress/his co-star who plays Mirabella Lancer in
the Western TV show Lancer
(1968-1970), about acting. The camera never cuts away to another footage or
flashbacks, staying glued at both Rick and Trudi throughout the whole sequence,
which in turn gives the audience the unrestrained opportunity to properly absorb
what’s on these characters’ minds or, to be more exact, Tarantino’s. Once again, he is able to take what appears to be another
mundane dialogue sparring sequence to different heights, in a way that’s a
delight for the eyes and ears. That is thanks to a blend of typical Tarantino’s rapid-fire dialogue and insightful
social commentary that’s equal parts quippy, clever, comical and believable,
further highlighting the auteur’s mastery
in not only style, but also substance.
Speaking of substance, Once Upon A Time … in Hollywood packs
its humor with plenty of heart, especially in the way the film develops the core
friendship between Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth. Tarantino brings a fly-on-the-wall spin on the buddy comedy formula
that’s surprisingly sincere given how larger-than-life its two lead
personalities are. It’s a relationship that lacks the focus and conflict to
pass as a compelling story, but the one thing it’s not lacking is authenticity.
For an example of their natural
camaraderie, look no further than a scene of Rick and Cliff just watching television
that’s so reminiscent of the hilarious music video commentaries Beavis and Butthead
used to churn out back in the 90’s. Here, the camera just lingers long on a
television set playing a Rick Dalton show while they provide their aimless,
Beavis and Butthead-style commentary off-screen. It’s an unconventional
cinematic depiction of male friends bonding, yet convincing enough to suggest
that they’ve had some long history.
That is not to say that these characters
aren’t as compelling whenever they’re not together. Tarantino makes the bold decision of separating these two throughout
most of the second act. Rick and Cliff have their own arcs to fulfill, with the
former having to deal with the reality of being a dying breed in Hollywood, and
the latter with a disturbing past that makes it hard for him to get a job,
giving more dimension to the film’s commentary on the film industry. Tarantino lends Rick’s arc with some
poignant truth which, despite its 60’s setting, is still a relevant subject in
2019 with its depiction of a star power-free Hollywood. He also finds levity in
the darkest of situations, especially with Cliff’s backstory as it quickly descends
into a running joke. Anytime it is referenced, it’s chuckle-worthy.
It’s no longer surprising that a Tarantino film like Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood would be a marvel of cinematic
craftsmanship. And it’s the rare kind, considering how much everything is
sculpted mostly through practical effects. He takes full advantage of the
talented production designers at his disposal, recreating the look and feel of
the 1960’s with such meticulous details and lavish care that the world on
screen feels like a living, breathing community. Besides production design, the
film further commits to is 1960’s conceit with the unique way it plays with
aspect ratio. Throughout the film, the shot would go from the old-fashioned 1:33
to the modern-day 2:40 ratio to distinguish which one is movie scene/interview
footage and which one is real-life event.
But not many scenes in the film are as unique
as its third act. It’s where Tarantino’s
thirst for history-bending twists and turns is in full force as the climax
takes a drastic flight into pure insanity. If the first two acts might seem
uncharacteristic of a Tarantino
picture, then its last fifteen minutes are the traditional Tarantino nonstop splatter-fest so graphic and unapologetic that it’s
a piece of artistic genius. Sharon Tate’s tragedy is so widely known that
anyone would have at least a faint idea of where the story is heading, but in
typical Tarantino fashion, he
manages to pull the rug from underneath its audience, even longtime Tarantino fans, of where this alternate
take goes. No spoilers, the film signs off in a very cathartic, hell yeah kind
of way that’s like a fairy tale’s happily ever after.
That scene aside, for the majority of
its runtime, Tarantino’s handling of
the Manson family murder’s story is by far the least compelling aspect of Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood. Sharon
Tate gets a lot of screentime here, but not enough to make her presence felt.
It doesn’t really help that the screenplay barely gives her character that much
to do, restricting her into being nothing more than just a glorified cameo who
is only slightly more realized than her fellow counterparts.
And the main issue here is that her
story doesn’t have the dramatic punch that
Tarantino might have desired. As a celebration of such a joyous real-life
personality, the film doesn’t seem to have time to take a breather and truly appreciate
the more delicate moments in Tate’s life, which is strange considering this is
the same film that also respectfully makes the conscious decision to gloss over
the darkest days of her life.
Her entire arc is padded with a series
of enchanting, in-the-moment scenes like her being the life of the party, dancing
to some 60’s classic (a constant theme throughout the film), watching herself
in the movies, and finally expecting her first child with Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha). But they come only
in brief snippets that, while sweet when they lasted, are never as gripping as
it could have been.
In the long run, this film’s Sharon Tate
exists only in the narrative as a conventional means to somehow get the Manson
family cult involved in Rick and Cliff’s misadventures. She resembles more of a
human ticking time bomb than a well-defined character, whose real impact is to
build tension. In truth, anyone else could have played the Sharon Tate role.
Heck, even if Sharon Tate is cut out from the film entirely, it wouldn’t affect
the story at all. Once Upon a Time … in
Hollywood struggles to justify integrating her character into the mix.
Also, for a filmmaker who can pull off
historical revisionism in his sleep, Tarantino
doesn’t quite stick the landing in Once
Upon a Time … in Hollywood as consistently as he did with his previous
films when it comes to comical reinventions of real-life people. Here, he might
have taken the term creative liberty a bit too far, especially with how he
deals with Hong Kong martial arts legend Bruce Lee (Mike Moh).
Lee appears at one point in the film,
acting differently in a cringe-inducing, problematic kind of way. Firstly, he
is delivering a speech in which he boasts about his martial skills, suggesting
that he is an arrogant guy. Secondly, the scene culminates into a back-lot fight
with Cliff, further suggesting that he is a hot-tempered guy who can get easily
provoked.
Obviously, that’s a nod to the actor’s
well-known reputation for giving his stuntmen a tough time, but Tarantino’s comedic attempt at doing so
teeters closer to character assassination than comedy. Moh’s Bruce Lee might have his likeness, but sadly, none of his real-life
counterpart’s gentle, respectful personality. Portraying a historical figure
inaccurately is one thing, but portraying them disrespectfully is another. It
is as if this film decides to send his long-lasting legacy spiraling down the
drain by turning him into a one-dimensional, cartoonish jerk.
Fortunately, Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood perseveres its way past
questionable character directions with top-class acting, notably the charming
chemistry between Leonardo DiCaprio
and Brad Pitt. It’s only the first
time these two superstars work together, yet their ability to read one
another is so telepathic that it seems as if they’ve been friends
even way before this film begins, with their every banter effortless and every
heart-to-heart moment genuinely endearing. But separately, each of these actors
is just as charming.
Leonardo
DiCaprio
is an example of note-perfect casting, delivering another memorable leading man
turn as fading Hollywood star Rick Dalton. As a dedicated actor portraying a
dedicated actor, it goes without saying that he is born to play this role. And
he breathes life into the character, asserting himself with the sort of searing
intensity that’s so evocative of DiCaprio’s
past Oscar-bait-y dramatic roles. His decision to play it as straight as his
other dramatic roles also amounts to a performance as worthy of being called
comic brilliance. Most of the film’s humor relies on how Rick takes himself so
seriously, and the fact that he never breaks character draws even more
consistent laughs.
As Rick’s stunt double/best friend Cliff
Booth, Brad Pitt takes on the role
of the cool guy in the buddy movie situation. The casting of Pitt is no different to DiCaprio, in a sense that he is basically
portraying the general public’s idealized version of who they think Brad Pitt is. Regardless though, he brings physicality and
as much of an impeccable comic timing as DiCaprio
to the table, exuding suaveness and badassery in every scene that he is in,
winding back the clock to a time when he used to be type-casted as the attractive
action hero-meets-ladies man character in every early 2000’s films. His
contribution in the film’s crazy third act is something a Schwarzenegger or a Stallone
would die for.
Tarantino also makes the
most out of its Avengers-level
supporting cast. Margot Robbie does
the character of Sharon Tate justice, capturing the late actress’ ray of
sunshine personality in a way that any Sharon Tate devotees should be happy
with. Robbie’s charm gives the
character much more weight than what’s on paper. Al Pacino and (R.I.P.) Luke
Perry come up with some delightful one-off performances. Margaret Qualley gets a good fifteen
minutes of fame role as a quirky hippie Cliff often runs into. But the name to
look out for here is ten-year old Julia
Butters. As the pint-sized method actress Trudi Fraser, Butters displays such intelligence and
charisma that’s wise beyond her years.
CONCLUSION:
Once
Upon a Time … in Hollywood finds the gifted Quentin Tarantino in full command of his craft once again in a
daring, funny and ultimately diverting farce on a bygone era that’s further
elevated by masterful acting, snappy dialogue and stunning production design.
Score:
8.5/10
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