Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Review

Rating: 8/10 (27 July 2019)

This was kind of a disappointment for me. Don't get me wrong, I still like the film but it just wasn't as great as I was hoping it would be. Here are the negatives. The film is structured weirdly which leads to the film being paced weirdly. Some scenes just kind of cut away to a flashback. One scene features Bruce Lee and Brad Pitt's character but you realize it is a flashback and it feels off. The film then montages through 6 months with narration. It feels out of place in this film and takes a little bit of interest out of the film. The scenes with Margot Robbie are kind of pointless. They don't serve to move the story forward. The film just comes to a dead stop when she appears on screen. For a Quentin Tarentino film, it is just a tad bit too long. Since the film is long, at some point in the second act, you start to feel a little bored which isn't a good thing for a Tarentino film. Here are the positives. The acting is phenomenal. Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt do fantastic jobs in their roles and have amazing chemistry together. DiCaprio has an especially hard job of playing the role of Rick Dalton and playing the characters that Rick Dalton plays. It's genuinely impressive.Margot Robbie, even though most of her scenes are pointless, also does a fantastic job. Even all of the supporting characters who are only on screen for a short amount of time do a great job. There is not one bad performance. The story can be a little confusing at times but it's mostly easy to follow. The film is more of a character study of DiCaprio's character and Pitt's characters rather than a plot driven story which is refreshing. The ending of the film, without going into spoilers is so awesome and shocking that you are sitting there with either this huge grin on your face or you are about to throw up. The dialogue feels natural mainly because it is a Tarantino film. The soundtrack is fantastic and uses some really good songs from the late 60's. The production design is fantastic. Tarantino managed to make every aspect of the film feel like 1969 even down to the costumes and vehicles. The film is actually pretty funny too. There are a bunch of moments in the film where I was laughing a lot. The cinematography is good and there are a couple of really good shots and transitions. The film's tone remains fairly consistent. Overall, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood may be a little too long and weirdly structured but showcases fantastic performances, great characters, and great production design while still showing that Tarantino is one of the greatest directors in Hollywood. I give Once Upon a Time in Hollywood an 8/10.