Patient, Fun and Lovable

Rating: 7/10 (26 August 2019)

*HINTED SPOILERS*
Following 'The Hateful Eight' arrives
Tarantino's 9th and second last film 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'. Here we see fading actor Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) attempting to capture the spotlight again with stunt double and best friend, WWII veteran Cliff Booth (Pitt) by his side. Let's talk about it.
The acting is PHENOMENAL. The buddy chemistry between DiCaprio and Pitt is undescribably good and both play extremely flawed yet lovable and charismatic characters. The characters are so investing and detailed to the point where eventually you see them for who they are and not their actor.
The film is also vibrant and is shot extremely well, depicting a beautiful fairytale version of a 60s LA.
As with every Tarantino film, the dialogue and comedy is spot on with not many flaws I can pick out. Although the dialogue and comedy is rather exaggerated to unrealistic levels at certain points, it is still one hell of a fun ride.
One major flaw I will point out however is the pacing at some points. The film will continuously give you an interesting moment with the characters but some moments will test your patience if you are more of a casual filmgoer. Personally I didn't have an issue with pacing but a 3 hour runtime does have its issues. The ending is also extremely divisive. Again, I loved it and it was an almost sombre in a happy way type of ending but some might feel a disconnect from the film after what they just watched.
Overall, the film is a fun time and shouldn't be taken seriously at all. It is an exaggeration and makes fun of a time and people that are long since gone. It is not as detailed nor 'narratively unique' as Tarantino's previous work but either way, I enjoyed it immensely and loved the actor's performances dearly.
8/10