Pitt and DeCaprio on top form

Rating: 8/10 (18 August 2019)

DeCaprio and Pitt as your two leads is a great start to any movie, and here they show off not just their own talent, but that they also have a great on-screen chemistry. This in-turn perfectly compliments Tarantino's obsession with classic Hollywood - be it film or TV. So every frame is packed with niche references to highlight the move of Hollywood productions from the big to the small screen, as TV begins to flex it's entertainment muscle. All nicely setting the scene as we follow the dramatic and personal trials of film actor Rick Dalton (DeCaprio) struggling to revitalise his career, and his attempt to escape his decent into typecasting as villian of the week on a string of TV dramas. Ably supported by long time stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt), this becomes quite an insightful piece into a talented artists decline and how they do or don't cope with their situation. All culminating in struggle of artistic talent on the set of a Western adventure series, and a moment of surprising reflection from a younger member of the cast. Of course with this being a Tarantino film there has to be an added aspect to the whole thing and he's chosen to include the infamous Manson murders and in particular the fate of Sharon Tate. Going into this film I had great reservations about the whole aspect of this in the film and I still wish that he had concentrated on his two principles rather than adding this superfluous storyline. However I do have to acknowledge that is handled much better than I could possibly imagine, and with the title of this film does make perfect sense. And as a small word of warning the 18 cert may seem our of place for much of the running time, it is needed !