Stellar Writing Is What Made This Movie So Good

Rating: 9/10 (28 July 2019)

Well, Quentin Tarantino is at it again and has now graced his fans with his ninth directorial effort (if you're not including Death Proof). This time around, taking a step back from his usual tendencies in a way, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood actually felt like a breath of fresh air to me, and that's coming from someone who absolutely enjoys the violence he presents throughout his films. This movie is worth your time if you're a fan and also for those who are turned off by the excessive violence. Here's why I believe this film may reach a broader audience than most of his works.
Almost completely devoid of a story at all, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood follows Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), a fading Hollywood star, and Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as his stunt double who no longer receives any work. Throughout a series of events and the introduction of Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), this is a film that disobeys every rule that most films follow, making for a highly enjoyable experience. To really dive into details would be to ruin where the movie ends up, so the best way to describe this movie is to say that it consists of a lot of great scenes of people talking, which eventually slowly builds to a climax that you may or may not expect.
Now, where I feel this film may be for more viewers than most Tarantino flicks is in the fact that the majority of this 161-minute feature doesn't have a lot of violence. It really did feel like Tarantino was trying to go for a more subdued film as a whole, which will please some viewers. With that said, there are absolutely some brutal moments that don't hold back, but they are few and far between enough to not have queasy audience members wanting to walk out of the theatre.
As always, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood's very best aspect is the screenplay itself. Yes, Tarantino always works with a talented crew in order to make his films look fantastic, but the dialogue spoken by the characters in this film just felt so authentic. At nearly three hours, this is a movie that doesn't feel like it drags, simply due to the fact that these actors are bringing their A-Game as always and the screenplay they're working with is top-notch. Every performance here deserves some recognition, but I also believe the script has something to do with that.
In the end, if I had to nitpick about anything, I would say that the lack of overall storytelling may hinder the film for people, and even though I was questioning where the film was going, I was always won over by everything else. Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood is simply one of the best movies I've had the chance to see so far in 2019 and I will continue to say that until the year's end. With stellar performances all around, phenomenal writing/directing, a visual style that feels different than most movies that will come out this year, and a pace that never feels too slow, given the slow nature of the movie, I can't really find many things to complain about. This film is fantastic.