Charming

Rating: 8/10 (21 January 2020)

What makes this movie special is all the love and care that was put into it, especially at this caliber where Hollywood is literally transformed to its "Golden Age". Every reference to the past is glossed over by the next, until they appear so rapidly that they can be easily missed. The characters seem as if they're plucked right out of the 60's, and in some cases they are. Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton felt like a real actor struggling to make an impression during this time in his career, especially after leaving his television stardom. His face always shows him being concerned about his future when it's not being filled with booze instead. I thought he would be a real mad in the film, but instead I sympathized with the character and felt relived near the end of his arc. The real shine belongs to Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth, who feels as if he's another persona of Pitt alongside Tyler Durden or Floyd from True Romance. He's pretty much cool personified for lack of a better term. Quentin Tarantino created two lovable characters and gave them a bromance that'll surely be remembered in pop culture history. Alongside the two are real life Hollywood figures who share the same amount of talent as the 2 leads. Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate is nothing more than respectable but still charming. She wasn't trying to make the character complex but instead opts to be more grounded in reality. The overall plot, however, is different because there isn't one. Really...there isn't a plot to the movies. It's just characters going through the trials of 60's Hollywood all set in relations with the murder of Sharon Tate. This, in my opinion, is both a flaw and a compliment. It can be easily viewed as boring, even I thought that at first, especially with a run time of almost three hours. But when the movie is viewed for a second or even third time, it shows its true form and stays thoroughly entertaining until the epic conclusion. Personally, I feel as if Tarantino released this movie near the end of the decade similar to it being set near the end of its decade. While being a moderate success, it looks like peanuts compared to The Lion King's 1-billion-dollar box office income due to it opening on the same weekend. It made me reflect on how movies themselves have changed during the years and what new ideas can either make or break. A movie like this will always have a special place in my heart, not only for its love on cinema but for it charm.