Movie Review: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Hey Big Screen Jess
It seems like 2019 has been a horrid year for movies, I can't even remember the last time I saw a full-length film that was actually worth my time and that I could really rave about. Talk about to friends and family and quote some of the epic lines from the movie.
It seems Hollywood has run out of ideas and when they're not putting out formulaic superhero movies, they're just biding their time with cannon fodder until the next big release.
Then I noticed Quentin Tarantino, whose movies I really love put out an original concept and pulled in the star power of Leo Di Caprio, Bradd Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino and Kurt Russell, man what a cast this has to be a winner.
So last night I decided to part ways with my hard-earned money, get myself a big ass popcorn and slushie, sat down in a dark room filled with complete strangers and prepared to be thoroughly entertained for 2 and a half hours.
Poster for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood - Image source: YouTube
What is Once Upon A Time In Hollywood about?
Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood is set in 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, the golden age slowly comes to an end.
TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognise anymore. Rick tries to rekindle what's left of his acting career while Brad seems content with being along for the ride.
The movie also draws inspiration from the Charles Manson storyline but provides an alternative take on the events.
This is the ninth film from the writer-director Tarantino and features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age.
Trailer for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
What I thought of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood?
Plot
The plot is non-existent and this movie is all style and no substance. None of the characters develops a story worth following and the big payoff at the end seems latched on just to show you that its a signature to Tarantino’s style of film making.
For a movie of its run time, I would expect to see us explore a few subplots in detail and flesh out an engrossing story but it just never seems to happen. It makes the movie a laborious awatch that is so dependent on the other elements, it's like they forget thy actually need a story to carry it along.
Acting
The acting is simply brilliant Leo and Brad really have some great chemistry and really dive deep into these characters fleshing them out and bringing them to life. The banter between the two of them is often the highlight of the movie. Watching these two acting giants shows you why they are A-listers and I really enjoyed their performances.
Which is such a pity because the script doesn't make use of their talents to its full potential. Apart from Rick who shows some development through the movie. I have to mention that DiCaprio has to be an actor playing an actor who occasionally is playing a role in tv shows or movies which is extremely difficult and he blows it out of the water.
While Cliff doesn't seem to really grow and you as much as they try you don't connect or feel anything for his character even though Brad is super charismatic as Cliff.
Margot Robbie is literally a pedestrian in this movie and her scenes are always a tangent to the actual story and are tedious to watch. If they cut out all her scenes I swear it would have been a better movie. Her character shows no development and you have no interest in what happens to her. She's just a pretty face strutting across the screen as the movie aims to eat up time and showcase various iconic parts of Hollywood in the 60s.
I do have to mention Margaret Qualley is a scene-stealer as Pussycat, one of the Manson family girls with a solid performance.
Visuals
The camera work is refreshing and a masterclass and gives the scenes such a vibrant feel to it and you can really feel engrossed in what is happening within each individual scene.
The movie takes its time to showcase the detailed efforts put into costume, set design, lighting and shot selection allowing the audience to take in the authentic and painstakingly detailed scenery.
You really get a feel of what it was like to live in the time and how people interacted with one another during this buzzing age of Hollywood.
My rating for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
If you're expecting a good old fashioned Tarantino still slasher you're going to be pretty disappointed. The movie labours at its 2 hours and 41 run time and never really gets going.
Apart from brilliant acting and detailed set design and brilliant cinematorygraphy on display, there is so much style but no real substance to the movie.
It really is a case of star power setting up an emperors new clothes situation and people are praising this film simply because of the names attached to it, rather than critiquing the content on its merit.
Quentin Tarantino is a living, breathing film geek (that's a compliment) who has earned the right to make the movies he wants to make but it doesn't mean I have to like everything he puts out.
This one won't be something you rewatch or live long in the memory and I'd have to give this movie 5 hippies out of 10
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Leo + Brad always worth to watch. But I think this movie is not really good.
Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
@anggreklestari
[Realityhubs Curator]
LOL it was really not worth the hype it got that’s for sure, middle of the range in terms of plot! It’s like a car with all the bells and whistles but no fuel in it to get it to its destination
!ENGAGE 20