A declaration of love for cinema

Rating: 9/10 (29 October 2019)

A sincere and passionate declaration of love for cinema. "Once upon a time in Hollywood" is a fantastic film for all the people who know and appreciate that magical time for the world of cinema. 1969 is the year in which traditionally it's said that an era ends, and it's no coincidence that Quentin Tarantino sets his film in it, telling us his version of a tragic and disturbing event that went down in history as the Tate murders.
The brilliant Quentin does it his way, having fun creating an alternative version of the story, maybe like a fairytale, and enriching it with fictional characters. Cinematography, costumes and scenography are magnificent and make perfectly the climate of those years. The interpretations of the protagonists (Leo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt above all, but also Margot Robbie and the other ones) are excellent. We laugh a lot (it's important to know as much as possible the references), we reflect a little and we let ourselves be drawn into that inexhaustible vortex that was the Hollywood of that period. Funny to see the portraits of real characters like Steve McQueen and Bruce Lee, in my opinion also the teasing are done with obvious affection and there is no intent to offend anyone.
Then, in the last part, Tarantino delights us with a series of scenes in his typical style, up to exalt us in a couple of moments. The ending is very liberating, and in a sense reconciling, I found it very apt and also exciting. Then, of course, everything is carried on with humor, something is left purposely pending (like the story involving Cliff Booth and his wife) and we can't know what will happen after the so much desired final meeting between Rick Dalton and his neighbors. But I can say that, after almost three hours flown in a moment (impossible to take your eyes off the screen), I left the cinema with a big satisfied smile on my face: I think that making these effect on viewers is a great achievement for a movie.