Tarantino's Best!

Rating: 10/10 (15 August 2019)

Insomuch as The Hateful Eight felt like a self gratifying look inward for a director who has made a living in projecting a strong vision, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood feels like an outward projecting love letter from Tarantino to the Los Angeles that he arrived in years ago. Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth (DeCaprio and Pitt) lead us through a velvety Hollywood that feels more like Disney World than the dingy reality of today's City of Angels. Weaving their way through slick producers, starry eyed hippies and industry hacks, Dalton and Booth ultimately right a wrong, even if fictionally, that must have felt very personal to a young Tarantino. The pace is very measured, though it lacks the overlong monologues that serve as both plague and genius in other Tarantino flicks. This will lead some to call it plodding or slow, but I loved every second of screen time and the director known for demanding the audience's attention feels very much in control in this one.