'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' Movie Review

Released: 14 August, 2019 (UK)

Length: 161 Minutes

Certificate: 18

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant, Julia Butters, Austin Butler, Dakota Fanning and Bruce Dern

Since his debut in 1992, Quentin Tarantino has carved out a name for himself as one of the most stylistic and recognisable filmmakers in the business with each of his productions taking on a markedly different narrative. His ninth film, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, has shared the same high levels of anticipation as previous films, but it has some severe difficulties measuring up to his pedigree.

Set in 1960s Los Angeles, we follow washed up film star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as they navigate the changing landscape of the American film industry. We swap back and forth between several different perspectives, some being adaptations of real people and others entirely fictional. At first glance, OUATIH appears to be a collection of different stories taking place in the ritzy land of Los Angeles, an approach ripe for variety and engaging perspectives; what we get instead is a set of often bland scenarios occasionally broken up by the over-the-top insanity associated with the director. How could this come from Tarantino? I’ll try to explain. At many moments, we’re treated to simplistic montage shots of the cast driving around, or worse, literally watching someone watch a classic movie; these moments are liberally sprinkled throughout the plot and don’t contribute anything to the story. This makes a fair portion of Once Upon a Time’s extended runtime unengaging, which is frankly unthinkable for a director so well-established over the years. At the very least, it does capture the vanity and self-centred nature of the movie business, which does deliver some good comedy, and the cameos, which appear to point to the director’s previous efforts, are quite clever in their placement. For the first time though, Tarantino struggled to keep me invested.

There’s a massive, top tier cast in Quentin’s ninth film; none of them are really at fault, it’s how they fit into the narrative that’s often suspect. Leonardo Di Caprio is quite good in the lead with Rick Dalton’s emotional outbursts being delivered with the right amount of emotion. Brad Pitt is also strong as Cliff Booth, a no-nonsense colleague of Dalton who doesn’t fall for any con tricks; this results in some entertaining moments as Booth outsmarts the more unsavoury individuals around the LA area. Unfortunately, most of the other characters are incredibly shallow. Margot Robbie as the well-known actress Sharon Tate is easily the most under-utilised of the bunch; she honestly doesn’t do anything throughout the film and has no part to play in the lives of her fellow movie stars. The same is true of Al Pacino, who only shows up a couple of times to comment on Dalton’s career. On the other side of the coin, we have representations of the hippy culture at the time, and these are, for the most part, capably wacky. They deliver some light-hearted entertainment that’s missing from the main plot. The snappy dialogue that has become a staple of Tarantino films is still present here, but the way the film is structured means it doesn’t flow as well and feels more sporadic as a result.

The film’s greatest strengths come from its presentation, which is often masterful in its detail; Tarantino made Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as a love letter to the sixties and the film industry at the time, and he wants us to be fully immersed in this time period. He does this in some very impressive ways; we’re given a wide and expansive view of the setting as the camera effortlessly conveys the environment and all its quirks. The fashion, props, vehicles and backdrops are all exquisitely conveyed, and many of the shots, particularly the ones in car backseats, give the audience an unparalleled view of the setting. The gorgeous weather glistens over the Hollywood hills and the sets are all authentic to the time they belong to; in many ways it’s a beautiful film and one of the most exceptional period pieces you’ll find. The soundtrack is by far the most extensive in any of Tarantino’s films with so many classic numbers always anchoring the proceedings. It’s too bad that the film’s pacing and story can’t match the energy and flair of the music artists on display. By fully enveloping the audience, the Hollywood seen in Tarantino’s latest flick is one of the most vivid real-life settings seen in modern cinema.

Tarantino may be a renowned auteur, but Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is his weakest creation to date, an experiment that didn’t pan out well, at least for me. It’s a film that focuses too much on its setting and not enough on telling an interesting story. His style and approach remain intact, but I was severely underwhelmed throughout. Fans will check it out regardless, but the common viewer won’t think much of it.

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars (Mediocre)