I saw Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood on July 26, 2019! Quentin Tarantino is my favorite director of all time, and, it's always great to see what projects he creates. Watching his stories unfold on screen whether it's an original story or a historical fiction piece that shakes things up is exciting! He knows what he's doing with the camera. He knows how to write good stories. He is the only director where I've actually liked all of his movies. From Reservoir Dogs to this new installment, he has been able to keep me invested in his stories, and constantly impresses me.
The story is essentially split into two big arcs. One arc revolves around the Hollywood film industry. The other storyline revolves around the rise of Charles Manson's cult. Our two lead actors are important in terms of shaping both arcs. Leonardo DiCaprio is my favorite actor of all time! I thought his performance here as Rick Dalton was fantastic. He steals the show with his performance as an actor struggling to come to terms with his waning starlight, but, at the same time puts his all into every role he has. He sells emotion and vulnerability so well, as well as the different characters he has to shape for his roles. He is responsible for shaping the Hollywood film industry story, and, much like the show Entourage we see how movies and television shows work. That fascinates me. I like getting a behind the scenes look of a movie, and, Tarantino provides that here. Every scene DiCaprio is in is compelling to watch. I really hope he gets a Best Leading Actor nomination at the Golden Globes and the Oscars.
Brad Pitt put in his best performance in a while here as Cliff Booth. He's always been a good actor, but, Tarantino brings out some of his best work for sure. He serves as Rick Dalton's stunt double, and, ultimately serves as his best friend.. He was fantastic here getting a landscape of what is going on, not only in Hollywood, but, ultimately in what is going on in terms of the second story of this movie in terms of the Charles Manson cult. Brad's silent approach at times is really good here, but when he has dialogue or action scenes, he is on absolute fire no matter if he's on set or navigating his way through life in the Hollywood hills. Brad certainly deserves a Best Supporting Actor nomination, although, he ultimately could be nominated for Best Leading Actor as well, since I would say him and DiCaprio had equal roles. Brad Pitt was simply great here by combining that cool charm, and bad ass nature throughout the movie.
Combining the glitz and glamour of Hollywood with the grotesque and horrifying side of humanity created a perfect blend for this movie. Tarantino showed both sides well. I loved how he would often present this within the same scene. The scenery even served as characters as well, because, it gives an even more complex picture as to what is going on. His ability to show light and dark in one scene in terms of mood, location, emotion, etc. was fantastic. The audience feels the emotion, whether it's positive or negative on a personal level. We are taking this journey with Rick and Cliff seeing their secrets, successes, and shortcomings.
I definitely give this movie a 5/5 for a fantastic script, phenomenal performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, a complex and intriguing look at two sides of Hollywood, a fun, quirky performance as Sharon Tate by the gorgeous Margot Robbie, performances by Mikey Madison (she really sold the chaotic nature of cults really well-so fantastic as Sadie) and Margaret Qualley (really good work here selling the hippie lifestyle) that stuck out for me, good cameos by Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, Timothy Olyphant, Luke Perry, etc., a movie split into three distinct acts: Hollywood film industry, the Charles Manson cult, and the convergence of both of these storylines in one heck of an intense finale, and, for Quentin Tarantino constantly reminding me why I love movies so much.
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