Less focus on plot in favor of setting, possibly dividing audiences

Rating: 8/10 (6 January 2020)

In Quentin Tarantino's latest film, he gives the audiences a hymn of the past in a feature that isn't as much about storytelling, as an homage of 1960s Hollywood. In "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood", Leonardo DiCaprio and Pitt co-stars as struggling actor Rick Dalton and his stunt double Cliff Booth respectively, as they look for the next step in Dalton's career (Booth follows his every step). A B-plot focuses on Dalton's neighbor Sharon Tate (Robbie), mainly there - I believe - as a build up for her tragic fate. As always with Tarantino, every scene, every shot, every word (he is known for not encouraging improv), is carefully constructed down to every delicate detail, and it shows in the wonderful setting, memorable lines, and Easter eggs. What makes "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" from other entrees in his filmography is its lack of a clear plot; the film works as sort of a historic document of Hollywood back in the 60s, showcasing films and TV shows typical of that time. While I find it perfectly amusing to watch DiCaprio as Dalton prepare for the role of a crooked villain in a Spaghetti Western, some viewers might be discouraged, as Tarantino's hallmark over-the-top gore action is saved for a short - yet intense - scene at the end of the feature. Talking about the ending, it is perhaps daring to change one of the world's most famous criminal cases, the Tate/LaBianca murders, committed by members of Charles Manson's "Family". But I think it's wrapped up nicely, and surprisingly non-cynical for Tarantino, with Tate and her friends surviving, without ever facing their real life killers. "Once a Upon a Time... in Hollywood" isn't your traditional Tarantino film, but his unique style is there, and together with the cast filled with household names (i.e. Timothy Olyphant, Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, and Al Pacino) this movie is made a memorable, vibrant piece of motion picture.