Director: Quentin Tarantino
Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Duration: 181 minutes
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (Blu-ray) – Movie Review
Quentin Tarantino movies are always seen as a certain special event, especially when a new one is released. The filmmaker is known for his quirky and visually strong movies. Often the story isn’t the most important factor of the movie and it’s actually more about how the movie is brought that grips you by the balls. This time the moviemaker creates something less violent than many of his other flicks and throws us back to Hollywood in 1969, the year everything changed. We were curious to see how Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt would portray an authentic (fictional) duo in the midst of many characters that are based on actual presences in the Hollywood scene from back then.
The movie starts off with Hollywood star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) having a few drinks with Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), while Rick is waiting for his dinner appointment with Marvin Schwarz (Al Pacino), who is a big shot in Hollywood. While Rick thought it would be a pleasant experience, he is actually being trashed by the old man, as he makes it clear that Rick Dalton is slowly becoming irrelevant in the landscape of Hollywood. He is comforted by Cliff, who is supposed to be his stunt double, but also seems to function as his chauffeur, handyman, and friend. From here on out, Rick tries to be the best he has ever been, by trying new roles.
In the meantime, Cliff is also looking for more work, as he is getting less and less jobs thrown his way. We also see Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who is enjoying her rise in Hollywood. Other than that, some other characters also pass the revue, throwing the main characters in a heap of different situations, like different experiences on the set, or Cliff’s personal situation.
We have to warn you, the trailers don’t properly convey the flow of this movie. The movie is slow as hell, and while this sounds negative, those loving Tarantino’s flicks will love the somewhat similar flow of his older titles. The film properly portrays the different characters, without delving too deep in their past. It shows us different situations in which the lead characters find themselves, trying to live their lives. In the case of Rick Dalton, it’s all about becoming a relevant face in Hollywood again. You’ll get enough information to know what is going on, but it’s mostly about how the scenes are presented and how the movie is filmed. This homage to an old-school Hollywood is more about the atmosphere than truly telling a story.
Acting performances are amazing in this movie. While the main roles are given to Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, there are many stars to be seen in this movie, and not just on the Hollywood walk of fame. Those with a keen eye will notice other cast members such as Al Pacino, Dakota Fanning, Margaret Qualley, Emile Hirsch, and of course, another great actress that gets a lot of screen time, Margot Robbie. The performances are realistic and appropriate for the time the movie situates itself in. There isn’t that much actual character development, but the characters do cling to you from start to finish.
While the Blu-ray edition of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood has several different special features, they are all somewhat the same. All these extras revolve around the iconic fashion and style of the 1960s and that it was a rather hard task to recreate said feeling and image. Each feature will handle a different aspect of the 60s, such as the fashion, the cars, the overall environments and so on. You’ll also get to browse through additional scenes and certain thoughts that went into the creation process of the movie. Overall you’ll get fun extra content, but you’ll be finished in roughly half an hour.
Conclusion
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood can easily be described as a real Quentin Tarantino experience, which many will either love or hate. The filmmaker is known for not having any taboo subjects and trying to create an original experience. If you’re a fan of his earlier work, then you’ll love the cinematography of this one as well. If you were not a fan of movies such as Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs, we reckon you will not be able to appreciate this piece of work either. The mix of actual real-life characters and fictional lead characters makes for a very interesting movie experience, one that has more substance than the first thirty minutes of the movie may imply.
No Comments