A great movie, misunderstood in so many reviews

Rating: 10/10 (21 February 2020)

I think a lot of the bad reviews are from people who just don't get it. Maybe people who went in with preconceived notions of what this would be or should be and are angry or disappointed that it's not what they thought it was going to be or what they wanted it to be. Maybe some people also went in without enough foreknowledge of the events of that time so didn't understand what was being foreshadowed and teased.
This is not a historical documentary, it's not a movie making documentary, it's not a biopic, it's not the typical Tarantino psychedelic bloodbath. It's an homage to this slice of Hollywood history, the end of the so-called golden era of Hollywood, and as the title suggests, it's a fairytale. It blends fact with fiction, it blends real people with fictional characters. Throughout, and more-so towards the end it leads the viewer towards a specific event from history, making the viewer uneasy and nervous in anticipation of what is coming.... But, as I said, this is not a history documentary, but a fairytale blending fact and fiction, so maybe the viewer has been misled.
Certainly, it is lacking plot; there's no real beginning, middle or end. But there isn't supposed to be. It's just a slice of history. A slice of Tarantino's idealised, fictionalised version of history. And I can understand why Tarantino fans may be underwhelmed, but he's not obliged to just keep remaking Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. It's good to see him applying his craft in other ways.
Personally I thought this was a great movie. Very polished and well produced, well written and directed, great casting. It's hard to find much wrong with it.