1969 Hollywood, Tarantinized

Rating: 7/10 (21 August 2019)

Real and fictional characters populate actual and imagined situations in Quentin Tarantino's mind-blowing saga aptly titled Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood. For older viewers, it's a nostalgic trip back in time while many references may be lost on those who are younger unless they are themselves well-versed with that period in movie and TV history. The main real person in the movie is Sharon Tate and while we all know her story, we still wait with bated breath to see Tarantino's take on what he would have liked to see happen. Brad Pitt's character Cliff Booth is given the best lines, and they are all delivered with immense charm. Pitt is in top form here, and he is the movie's brightest spark. Leo DiCaprio's Rick Dalton is a more complicated role, a character riddled with self-doubts and who constantly needs reassuring, yet in his element at all other times. The movie is filled with interesting supporting parts, many of them played by veteran actors including several who had not been working for some time. This being a Tarantino movie, the viewer should not be expecting conventionality; the writer-director plays fast and loose with the facts and reality so much so that the phrase "it's only a movie" becomes almost an understatement. My advice to first-time viewers is to just sit back and enjoy the ride; there will be a lot to take in, so a second viewing may be helpful. As long as you watch with an open mind, you won't end up too disappointed.