Revisionism by flame thrower

Rating: 9/10 (13 June 2020)

Set in the throes of a bygone era, Quentin Tarantino's 9th and penultimate film is a revisionist fantasy, romanticized in a quintessentially Tarantino way, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as washed up actor Rick Dalton, Brad Pitt as Rick's stunt double Cliff Booth, and Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate.
His leading man days behind him, Rick's career is on the decline, relegated to playing the heavy on every primetime show needing one. Rick is cranky and pines for the days of old, lashing out at hippies and the changing times when he's not self-flagellating. Cliff has been Rick's longtime stunt double, best friend, and as the result of Rick's numerous DUI's, driver. Cliff is expertly cool as the counterbalance, content with hanging out and having beers at Rick's house in the hills. Rick's neighbours just happen to be Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate, Hollywood up and comers, juxtaposed ever so perfectly for this tale. The dialogue is snappy and the production design masterful in capturing the sights and sounds of late 60's Hollywood. Our interactions with the characters are never dull, whether sitting in on Rick's line reading in his trailer, watching Cliff feed his pitbull, or following Sharon to the Playboy mansion. The film bounces along nicely for two and half hours and then skyrockets when Tarantino's screenplay conceives an alternate ending to the Tate murders, providing our protagonists the chance to rewrite history. The ending has all the markings of a Tarantino reverie and it alone is worth the runtime. Although an entertaining and loving tribute to Old Hollywood, the film is not without it flaws, most of which are in Tarantino's politics, but we don't look to him to be our moral compass. We watch his films because they're fun, and Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood is as fun as a flamethrower.