One of the most ambitious and brilliantly made love letters to an important era of movie making and an instant classic from such a fantastic filmmaker.

Rating: 10/10 (15 August 2019)

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is the ninth film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, it is one of the most ambitious and brilliantly made love letters to an important era of movie making and an instant classic from such a fantastic filmmaker.
In 1969, Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), once one of the biggest Western actors on TV, struggles to find work in Hollywood. As Rick laments his fading fame, his best friend and stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) also deals with his own problems as a result of apparent rumours of him murdering his wife. One day, Rick manages to land a role in a new Western series called "Lancer", and while he attempts to impress the director with his acting abilities, Cliff is meanwhile uncovering some unsettling information about a group of hippies squatting at the compound of his old workplace.
As fascinating as it is engaging, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood proves that nine films in, Tarantino can still amaze us with his unique style of storytelling and personal perspective of the world around him. His vast cinephilic knowledge frequently shines through as we see him check off just about every Hollywood trope without ever resorting to typical cliches. In addition to this, the ways in which Tarantino immerses his audience in the free-spirited era of 1960s America is a sight to behold. His choice of soundtrack, the witty dialogue, the clever use of cinematography, and even the special effects of inserting modern actors into films of that time (similar to Forrest Gump) felt seamlessly accomplished. Both Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are in perfect sync with each other, being that they are both actor and stuntman respectively, so much so that it is virtually impossible to come to a conclusion as to who gave a better performance. Margot Robbie is worth noting as well as Sharon Tate, the young actress married to director Roman Polanski who was also struggling to be taken seriously in Hollywood. Her portrayal is respectful and thankfully Tate's real-life fate is not used for cheap entertainment thrills. This film is a must-see not only for Tarantino fans but also for anyone with an undying appreciation of cinema in general, much like Tarantino himself.
I rate it a very high 9.5/10