Tarantino's Love Letter to film cinema and the first must watch film of 2019!

Rating: 10/10 (10 August 2019)

So I just saw the new Quentin Tarantino movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood at the theater. This was easily my most hyped movie of the year. I absolutely love Quentin Tarantino so my expectations were very high all around. I am happy to say this movie met my expectations and went beyond. It may actually be one of my favorite Tarantino films and easily a major Oscar contender.
In typical Quentin Tarantino fashion the plot of the movie is all over the place. The film juxtaposes a few real life actors into one leading man, Rick Dalton as he and his aging stunt man come to term with their less than Blockbuster status in Hollywood. Of course the meat of the film involves incredible character interactions mixing action, humor, drama and suspense to make a truly fascinating love letter to cinema. Plus the movie incorporated the Manson Murders into the background as a fun plot device that really added an interesting element to the film.
The movie had so many strong selling points as a film. In typical Quentin Tarantino fashion the dialogue was so sharp it is guaranteed to keep the viewer entertained. The movie really did have a perfect mix of comedy and drama, all while playing fast and loose with real life characters and events. I constantly found myself mesmerised at the screen with the dialogue and screenplay choices.
This really felt like Quentin Tarantino's most personal film. The movie was an absolute love letter to cinema and the people that crafted films that were so influential in his career. As a fan of Cinema the movie was an absolute blast to watch. Picking up all the little Easter eggs left just for all the cinephiles out there was half the fun of the film. This movie absolutely demands to be seen multiple times.
It would be impossible to talk about a Tarantino movie without mentioning the directing choices. The film was so expertly shot and directed it was almost hard to pay attention to the content because I wanted to pay attention to the technical aspects. The soundtrack as always was perfectly blended into the film acting almost as a driving character in itself. This easily was one of the best directed and shot films of the year.
In every way Tarantino captured the era of the film and utilized a really cool play-within-a-play concept that really paid tribute to the art of film making. The concept really made for some trully memorable moments and really showcased the range of talent that went into this film. The writing and screenplay did a great job setting up the initial conflict and playing with viewers expectations. Despite having a large cast and switching multiple perspectives throughout the film the movie never felt bloated. Everything felt so deliberate and tied into the larger themes of the film.
Speaking of talent Leonardo DiCaprio really made this role his own. Throughout the film he was forced to wear so many different hats as a character, but still kept his character grounded as a real human being struggling with life stressors. A lesser actor could not have played such a diverse and demanding role.
Brad Pitt absolutely oozed charisma throughout the film. His character seemed to pick up from Inglourious Basterds and turned into one of Brad Pitt's best performances in years. He and DiCaprio genuinely had an outstanding screen presence together. I really can't complain about a single actor in the entire film. It is always nice to see the Quentin Tarantino regulars appear in his films.
Of course like all Tarantino films this movie will not be for everyone. While I really enjoyed the dialogue-heavy sequences and multiple character perspectives, the film does have a way of rambling in a stream of thought kind of way. I could see people getting lost and wondering where the movie was heading. Plus the film plays very loose with historical facts. Both points feel a bit shallow criticizing in the film for however. It seemed Tarantino explicitly designed the film in such a manner.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has been my favorite film of 2019. It is the kind of movie that reminds me how much I love Cinema. From the smart and witty dialogue to the intricate directing choices the film is sure to please all fans of well made film. Sure the plot can initially feel overwhelming, but this is one of those films where the experience is more important than the ending. A 9.75 out of 10.