Tarantino Presents a Spaghetti Western

Rating: 8/10 (13 August 2019)

This film is a time machine, sending the audience back to the 1960s with every aspect. The visuals, the music, the historical events, and unfortunately the pacing as well. While the first few landed well, and the movie was generally enjoyable, the pacing suffered from the overindulgent wallowing in a period piece that Tarantino seems to love. Aging movie star, Rick Dalton and his stunt double, cross paths with his famous neighbors, a group of hippies, and eventually a man with murderous intent. The plots have seemingly no connection to one another, nor is there a clear direction for the story to head in initially. In a way, this is pleasant, as it allows the viewer to be surprised by the events, rather than living in what is going to happen next by linear progression. In the end, this movie does meet the TGS: Tarantino Gore Standard. A movie filled with emotionally charged talks and groovy 60s showmanship culminates in a battle scene fit to make the Huns roll over in their graves. All in all, the movie felt like the western movies that Rick Dalton himself acts in. When Cliff Booth, Ricks stunt double, gives a ride to a Hippie girl, and stirs up trouble at her commune by questioning their right to be on the estate, and smashing in the face of one resident who slashed his tire, Cliff becomes like the anti-hero in the classic cowboy movies he and Rick had starred in over the years: he rode into town on a white horse (Cadillac), calling a meeting wit the sheriff (the owner of the land), and dueling a helpless local who questioned his authority (tire slasher).