overall it's well-made, but doesn't quite know when to let up

Rating: Null/10 (4 August 2019)

An aging (and fading) Hollywood action star is stuck in an emotional rut in the late 1960s, believing that his once prosperous career has officially gone south-a belief he confides to his best friend and longtime stunt double who, like him but for much different reasons, is also struggling to find a place in the rapidly changing Hollywood scene. By chance the washed up star lives next door to acclaimed director Roman Polanski and his bubbly wife Sharon Tate, and believes that becoming acquainted with them will help propel his status. Tarantino's tribute to the golden age of cinema is well-crafted, features many of his frequent collaborators in key roles (including DiCaprio and Pitt who are a dream pairing) and is especially effective at capturing a specific look and feel of a memorable time period, but it goes on way too long, has a finale that's needlessly sensationalized, and a major subplot about the Manson Family that's more distracting than interesting. Until the third act the film's content is surprisingly tame, but all of its best qualities are diluted by the length of the picture. **Â½