Supply your own headline...

Rating: Null/10 (25 December 2019)

When I watch a Tarantino movie, I expect to see obsession. I expect to see tribute paid to days past. I expect to see a cast of characters that has built over time based on (what I believe to be) the relationship he has built with the characters in past films. I expect to hear music that would be lost on most, to be discovered by new listeners. I also expect to find a jewel or three that I could not predict in advance.
I looked for things that were out of place in the film. Possibly only the livery on the 747's was wrong. The cars, the styles, the movie placards were as expected --- right! I spotted familiar characters from the past, and hope that Brad Pitt will be included as a cast member in the future, as he did an outstanding job. I was disappointed that Zoe Bell only appeared in one scene. She is forever etched in my mind, and only QT brings out the best in her. I expected Pitt and DiCaprio to be outstanding...they always are. I didn't hear as much older music as I would have liked, but it does have to fit into the movie rather than have the movie play to the music.
I could ramble forever, and I won't. The first thing that really stood out in this movie for me was the scenes with Leonardo DiCaprio and Julia Butters. DiCaprio is awesome as expected, but Julia Butters was unexpectedly amazing for her age. She showed depth that was completely unexpected for a 10-year old girl...maybe only 8 or 9 when the filming was done. If reality doesn't destroy her desire to act, she has great potential.
The second jewel was the alternate reality of the last part of the movie. As soon as I saw the street sign early in the movie that said Cielo Drive, my expectations were set. I was completely ready for what I knew was to happen, only to be surprised by a turn into an alternate reality. If only the alternate version could have been the real one, it would have only been a story in the LA papers for a few days rather than a mystery that continued to play out for nearly 50 years.