Tarantino The Storyteller Strikes Gold

Rating: 10/10 (7 August 2019)

Quentin Tarantino is known for his love of pop culture. In "Once Upon a Time,,," he so captures the zeitgeist of an era through an abundance of details that I can recommend the film for that reason alone. The music of the time is the backdrop to this fairy tale based (in part) on fact.
Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an actor with more misses than hits. He is awash in self-doubt and conscious of his place in Hollywood's pecking order. Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) is Dalton's best friend and stunt double, happy to live in Dalton's shadow, but more self-confident than his buddy. Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) is an actress on the verge of film stardom and wife of Roman Polanski. We follow these three characters through their daily activities, discovering their joys and their disappointments, their challenges and their successes. It's a mash-up of fact and fiction that is compelling to watch, especially if one is aware of the real events of 1969.
The cast is studded with surprises and some hidden gems that are only revealed when reviewing the list of credits after the fact.
There are two performances I wish to highlight. Margaret Qualley (daughter of Andie McDowell) plays Pussycat with an energy that lights up the screen. I last saw her portray Ann Reinking in Fosse/Verdon---a role she was suited for, but it lacked the brilliance she is permitted to reveal as Pussycat. Also, Julia Butters plays Trudi, a precocious 8-year-old who commands your attention as she acts opposite Leonardo DiCaprio.
Tarantino's imprint is all over this film, stylistically and thematically. There is a real joy in watching him spin this yarn, leading the viewer to a denouement that can only be staggering, whichever path it takes.