One of Tarantino's Finest Works

Rating: 9/10 (20 August 2019)

From the first frame of this film I could tell that I was in the hands of a filmmaker who has an insane amount of love and respect for their craft as well as the art form. This film has a very distinct tone and pace to it that is very different and unique for Tarantino. It's very reserved and mature, and I like that he's evolving as a filmmaker. His gimmicks and tropes are very held back to nonexistent in this film, and then he throws in something very special and satisfying towards the end for his fans. And despite the slow pace, the film managed to keep me invested and thoroughly entertained for the entire runtime. Which is entirely due to the fact that this film is more character driven than it is story/plot driven.
This film plays out more like a loosely connected series of scenes rather than a flowing narrative. And despite the looser focus, the characters, themes, and motivations feel significantly more important and fleshed out compared to some of his other films. In fact I would go as far as to say that the main characters in this film are the most well written and fleshed out since Pulp Fiction. Scenes that some may consider pointless, I would not consider as such because they exist to flesh out the characters. This film is very respectful and laid back in its portrayal of Sharon Tate, which was refreshing after seeing the abomination that is The Haunting of Sharon Tate (2019). Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth have very compelling storylines and are the best characters Tarantino has made since Jules from Pulp Fiction. Brad Pitt gives one of the best performances of his career in this film, and Leonardo DiCaprio was amazing as always. All the acting in this film from the main cast was Oscar worthy.
The cinematography and set design of this film was emasculate. The glossy recreation of 1969 Hollywood was very impressive. I appreciated the authenticity and attention to detail of the sets. They went to great lengths to physically recreate Hollywood in 1969, filled to the brim with almost entirely practical effects, and very little digital recreation. The most impressive aspect of this is the abundance of long takes with Brad Pitt driving his car through the streets of 1969 Hollywood and yet the illusion of realism is never broken, and as he goes down every block it feels no less real than the last.
As always with Tarantino, the film is very dialogue driven, which is as sparse, well written, and witty as always. The plot is loose, as stated before, and also simple, and yet is still unpredictable and suspenseful. The film relies on comedy more so than any other Tarantino film. Despite some ridiculous moments, the film has more to say than some of his recent films.
The ending feels very much like Quentin Tarantino's style coming out. It was very satisfying for me and should satisfy most of his fans. I feel like it was very purposeful and surprisingly set up and fitting. This ending could make or break your experience, or you might think it's the only good part if you don't like slow burns. I found my jaw to be on the floor during the final scene, I was also laughing hysterically. The resolution to Rick Dalton's storyline was very clever commentary on heroism, how we perceive it, and how much violence we excuse in films by chalking it up to heroism. It was an impeccably set up and well constructed conclusion.
Quentin Tarantino is one of my favorite filmmakers and I'm always happy to see him expand, evolve, and take risks. I like that he found a way to do something new and meaningful rather than sticking to his same old shtick. I hope he is rewarded with a lot of Oscar recognition for this film (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor/Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Set Design, Best Score, Best Sound Design, all of it). This is one of my favorite Tarantino films and one of the best films I've seen so far this year.