As real as a donut

Rating: 9/10 (27 August 2019)

Whenever I go to watch a Tarantino film, I know that something huge is coming. He is one of those filmmakers that made me love cinema and understand its value and force. I remember the first time I watched "Kill Bill". I was home sick, sitting in the coutch and I thought: "Well, if the medicines can't make me fine, something has to!". And eventually he did. "Kill Bill" fixed my mood and made me revalue art. It was creative, took risks and it was lots of fun. And now, Quentin makes his 9th film and boy, oh boy, isn't it a blast.
"Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" is one of Quentin's mosot intellligent, detailed and fun films to watch and also serves as insant love letter to film and to this crazy world called Hollwood, Let's dig into it.
Firstly, the world. Right form the first 15 minutes of the film it is visible that Quentin has given life to the 69' Hollywood era. Everything feels so real and the whole film looks like it is set that exact time, even if I never lived there to see what it is liked. The funky streets, the pop-up graphittis, the clothing, the cafeterias and cinemas, the shiny billboards, the 69' cars and lastly the car radios that play constantly during the film and ads are included. Quentin used all of the tracks included in an old radio station "Boss Radio" and he actually remembers that during that time people would not switch from one radio station to the other, but keep it there for their whole drive, even if they disliked a song or the adverstisments started playing. That's a nice touch.

Also, Quentin created made-up films for the film and also reshot of these films with new actors. His team crafted posters, mugs and turned a whole street into 69' Hollywood. Now that demands your attention.
OF course, there is no Tarantino film without Tarantino characters in it. And he manages to birng out one of the most dinamic and fun to watch duos in cinema history. We got famous actor Rick Dalton, known for his presense in westerns and other films and his stuntman Cliff Booth, who, as they both agree to, has the job of carrying his load. Rick is at the ends of his career, he has been playing the bad guy in TV series pilots for the past years and his good, shiny days are gone. He feels like a nobody and in his face we see a faiding star who desperately tries to shine again. Cliff, on the other hand, is more calm and controlled. He just finds driving Rick to his jobs and bein his buddy fun and does not really care that his career is ending. Their story takes place during the infamous Hollywood scandal of the Sharon Tate murders ( 9 of August, 1969) . We also get to see the life of Tate before these events, as she enjoys the goods and luxurys of being a pretty actress in the Hollywood world.
As I see it, the whole film is centered around the friendly bond of Rick and Cliff, even if the story drags them to different paths. Their friendship is what gives soul to the film. Rick keeps trying to be a star again and Cliff is there to remind his that he is Rick-f-word-Dalton. In the two fo them we see a duality of man. We have the worrying actor who fears of his finishing career and the relaxed stuntman who has accepeted his situation and just keeps living. Put these two together and there you have it.
The cast is tremendous. Margot nails non-verbal acting, escpecially at the cinema scene with her really authentic reactions, Leo is has not been more mad and Brat is just... priceless. His performance along with Cliff's easy-going personality and violent-nature all come together and create what might be one of Quentin's most memorable characters. Pacino has a nice role too and Curt Russel hating a stuntman is alreary a hit. Oh, and the Bruce Lee scene is the most funny scene I've seen in a while and those who claim that it is mean to portray him like that are just dump people with no sense of humour.
Now, let's talk about the story's stucture because a lot of people call this film boring and claim that nothing is going on, but the poor ones just don't get it.
To beign with, there is a difference between slow-paced and boring. Yes, the movie has a slow pace, but it is not boring at all. To me, it's all about the characters and the world they live in. We get the chance to see and feel what Hollywood felt like during 69' and we actually get to see the life of two really ineresting personalities portrayed by brilliant actors. Yes, the film does not have a certain goal or a narrative whch goes from one point to the other, like Django or Reservoir Dogs. It is more of a collection of moments that come togeher and create such a fun watch. We get western scenes, hippie scenes, a lot of driving scenes... how isn't this fun? I can't say that I got bored in the film at any means.
Maybe the Sharon Tate parts felt kind of less interesting compared to the other two stories, especially the first itme I watched the film, and at some points the film goes at weird directions, but it is all about the characters the portayal of the industry.
Okay, the soundtrack is just pure gold. "Hush", "Treat Her Right", "Son of a Loving Man", "California Dreamin'", 'Out of Time", Bring a Little Lovin'"... one of Tarantino's best tracks and it makes the film much more energetic and atmospheric.
The ending is really, really clever and it feels like a huge hug of consolation to Tate and to Hollywood's history from the one and only, Quentin Tarantino. By the end, I just wanted more and more...
"Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" is a cinematic joy. It is powerful, stylish, funny, comfy, clever, atmospheric, melancholic, beautiful and I feel that one day it will be considered of those film's that told history in the most fun and sweet of ways.
See you in the next one, Quentie.