Recommended for those who love a good period piece

Rating: 8/10 (31 July 2019)

In Quentin Tarantino's newest film, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" is a film set in 1960s Los Angeles in an alternate timeline. Where an aging television actor and his stunt double/longtime friend embark on an odyssey to make a name for themselves in the Hollywood film industry.
So Tarantino is a fantastic director, most of us film buffs know this. He's just so masterful at what he does, so I'm a huge fan of his. I knew this movie would at least be well-shot and probably well-written, both of which are true. But, don't go in expecting an "average constructed film". This is a film that doesn't really have a structured plot, you're kind of just following characters along in their daily lives. So if that's not for you, then this movie won't be your cup of tea.
Right off the bat, the opening is great. It really begins to show us Tarantino's love for film and its creation. The movie is a huge peek behind the curtain which I love and a tribute to Hollywood's golden age. Though I found myself longing for even more of this. Show us even more cameramen doing their thing, stage lighting, practical special effects, filmstrips, etc. This didn't take from the movie itself, it's just my own personal desire to see.
So I figured out that this movie specifically is bringing it back to older western movies/television. Immediately I thought of my dad and watching "Bonanza" with him as a kid. Very accurate portrayal of this genre. I mean one of the first shots in this film is in a bar. We see Leonardo Dicaprio's character Rick and Brad Pitt's character Cliff chatting and drinking. Get that nasty celery stalk drink out of my face Cliff! I do however want all of the Leo dancing scenes though.
There's many random close-up shots on various items/props throughout the movie. These do come into play later on, but I was so confused for awhile. The film is pretty lengthy too at about 2 hours and 45 minutes, so it slows down the pacing significantly during parts. One that this sticks out the most is when were introduced to Cliff's trailer. We literally see dog cans being opened, microwaving food and a few other things that just dragged on for too long. So random question. How old is Brad Pitt? I looked it up after the movie and it says he's 55. Wow he looks good on that roof shirtless for 55!
Though we get 2 main interesting fictional characters, they are surrounded in this movie by non-fictional characters being portrayed. People like Bruce Lee, whom was perfection and Sharon Tate. I was disappointed to see that Margot Robbie as Tate had very little acting wise to do in this film. Which is a shame! Bringing life back to Sharon Tate could've been such a great dedication to her. Especially after it's been so long. Basically throughout the film its 3 stories intertwining together in 2 days I believe until the 6 month time jump.
Continuing with Sharon Tate. I wasn't sure if they'd touch on the Tate, Sebring, Wojciech, Frykowski and Folger murders since they were so gruesome. Though I had a feeling they were heading towards that route once I called the hippie cult stuff as soon as I saw the "ranch". It didn't fully click to me until a little later in the film that it's Manson's ranch and the hitchhiker wanting Cliff to meet "Charlie". But once the time jump happened and the narrator starts describing in vivid detail the times and places these characters are going I knew it was time. Though granted not in the way I expected at all! Wow was that brutal and a true Hollywood movie ending! Tarantino builds us up throughout the film to basically rewrite history and take liberties in a way where I wish it had actually been the true ending to the very real life story. Seeing Charlie Manson portrayed in this made my heart stop.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the humor in this lands hard. I was cracking up during many parts of this movie man! There's a credit scene with a cigarette ad that was incredible. The entire movie Rick is coughing up a damn lung and we get this! So good. Also I wanted to mention a scene I personally really loved which was the book discussion between Rick and the little girl (sorry I didn't catch the characters name). What a smart way to show character development/growth. We get to see a heartfelt compliment on acting as well to boost Rick's confidence and it's done really really well.
If you're a Tarantino fan, you'll most likely enjoy this film. Don't expect an insane amount of action, it's more of an orchestrated period piece surrounding daily lives of actors. I enjoyed it thoroughly and will definitely be showing it to my parents since they will be able to appreciate aspects of it more than I personally ever could. But again, I love film so it's also my type of movie. I also wanted to say RIP Luke Perry, this was his last film before he passed away so he will be missed.