Probably Tarantino's most personal film but it is also his most clunky and unorganized

Rating: 8/10 (24 August 2019)

'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' feels like an epilogue. Tarantino above anything else has been a movie fan and with this film he actually has made a movie not just about films and filmmaking but the kind of religious romanticization of the culture. Make no mistake the Hollywood portrayed here never existed, this is Tarantino's dream world. What is created here is a fantasy and a fairy tale very appropriately hinted at from it's title. The devout Tarantino fans are going to love this film and appreciate the extreme attention to detail. The end result here is a very esoteric film loaded to the brim with easter eggs and shout outs that sometimes take precedence over an already narratively thin premise. What one gets out of 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' will depend on how much of the Hollywood history and Manson lore you know.
The film has a very episodic nature to it. We go through various events with our characters that show off the Hollywood sets and streets. That isn't meant as a big complaint because a lot of the individual stores work and work well. Tarantino has always sort of broken down his larger projects into individual vignettes and chapters. I just feel that in this particular instance there doesn't seem to be a central thread weaving our plot lines together. One would think that with 1969 being the heart of the film that Tarantino would use the juxtaposition of Manson and Hollywood's golden age ending to say something. It serves as nothing more than a backdrop. It's a fun backdrop, don't get me wrong but not a thematic one.
There's no getting around the fact that in discussing this film you have to discuss how Tarantino handled Sharon Tate's murder. Does he earn the right to rewrite history yet again to fit his artistic vision? It's a tough discussion to have and I feel as if Tarantino is getting a lot less slack. Sharon Tate died a horrible death and just reading about it gives you a visceral reaction. Tarantino knows this and uses it to draw us in. A cloud of dread hangs over the entire movie as we wait for Tate to meet her horrific fate. Margot Robbie's Tate really isn't given a whole lot to say or do over the course of the film but she has a screen presence full of warmth or beauty. Tarantino films Robbie with reverence almost like a religious figure. I can't really say if his ending works or not in the scope of what it adds to Tate as a character in this film or as a tribute to the real Sharon Tate. In all honesty it felt a little awkward.
I do have to give Tarantino credit where credit is due. For the large part Tarantino does not make a character out of Manson or his family members. I think that works to his advantage. Like I said Tarantino knows we know the story and so going in Manson already has a presence over the film. We really don't need to see the Helter Skelter stuff again. It's just too depressing and vile and no amount of Tarantino dialogue could make it zany.
'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's great appeal is the aesthetics. You can argue that Tarantino may have peaked as a storyteller but there still isn't anyone who can set a mood or create a world as well as him. This film should be a shoe in for set design and costuming awards.
I have not mentioned the performances or the characters really. DiCaprio and Pitt are both serviceable in their roles. DiCaprio has to work the most because a lot of his character is built from subtext. His best moments come when his Rick Dalton acts and DiCaprio brings Dalton's insecurities out into the character Dalton himself is playing. Pitt's character is a little too vague but his charisma is still there.
I think I've probably over dissected this. The simple answer with Tarantino seems to be that his fans will love anything he does and I think 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' will be no exception. An 'Inglorious Basterds' it is not and yet 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' gives the Tarantino fan the chance to enter his dreams of an idealized movie fantasy.