‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Movie Review

The Plot

The story centers around a TV star named Rick Dalton (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt man Cliff Booth (played by Brad Pitt) who are just living out their lives in Los Angeles. Rick comes to realize that he is no longer on top of the world and this film spends the majority of its run time with him trying to deal with the hard truth of his fading popularity. Cliff is also going through a hard time since he can’t seem to find work as a stunt double so his scenes revolve around him living a normal life like everyone else. I have to say that I went into this movie with no expectations. I didn’t watch any reviews or trailers for the film. The only thing I knew was that Quentin Tarantino was the director and after hearing that, I just bought my ticket as soon as I could and rushed out the door to see a good movie. There were so many things this movie got right and very little it got wrong, so expect more positives than negatives for this movie. Alright, let’s get down to what you all want to know about: Why the movie is good!

The Characters

I didn’t expect to laugh this much when I went to see this film because Tarantino tends to go for a more violent way of telling a story. This reminded me of Pulp Fiction in a lot of ways since the two actors share such great comedic chemistry with each other. There was a scene where Rick started going crazy inside his trailer, cussing at his reflection, and throwing stuff all because he forgot his lines during the shooting of an episode. It felt very natural for his character because he is the kind of guy who strives to be the best actor he can, so he can get that shred of relevance he needs to stay sane. When an actor of his caliber flubs his lines then all hell can break loose at any moment, which clearly happens in the film. It really shows how Hollywood can get into a person’s head since it is all about competition in the acting world. He reminded me of a veteran lion fighting for his right to be the king when another younger lion shows up to steal his thunder. There were many scenes where Rick showed emotion and I felt really bad for him. DiCaprio still shows what a magnificent talent he is in this feature and so does Brad Pitt. Cliff is a down to Earth guy just living his life while his best friend stumbles with his lines on set. You could easily relate to him since he spends the majority of the movie just helping his friend out by driving him around and doing whatever Rick tells him to do. There is a moment where we learn that he is a war veteran and he definitely shows that off with such over the top brutality. I don’t want to spoil the funniest parts in the movie but I will say that a special guest star shows up to spar with Cliff and that scene made me laugh harder than I ever have in a long while. Both Cliff and Rick have fantastic chemistry with each other and I bought that they were long time friends in the movie. I recommend seeing the movie just for them!

What Was Good?

• The performances by both Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt were incredible. They showed great chemistry with each other and they clearly steal the spotlight in this film.
• This was one of the funniest movies I have seen in a while. The timing was superb and the over the top violence had me laughing in the third act. I could watch the scene where Rick flips out in his trailer for hours.
• The camera work was fantastic! When there are characters riding on horses the camera follows from a distance along side them and that really shows you how much work went into the film.
• The atmosphere was incredible. It felt like I hopped into a time machine to visit the late sixties. The clothes, the retro screens on the television sets really caught my eye. I love when movies are as detailed as possible like it was in this film.
• Some of the violence in this movie is over the top and hilarious. The splatter effects were nice for lovers of gore and I could feel it whenever Cliff laid the smack down on somebody.

What Wasn’t So Good?

• Margot Robbie’s character just came off as eye candy to me. The movie follows her for a long while and she doesn’t really contribute anything to the film other than seeing a blonde dance. Well, there’s that and we also get the privilege to watch her react to a movie she stars in and for whatever reason Tarantino decided to jump back and forth between her and the other two characters in the movie. I felt like she was wasted in this movie and if you took her out of the movie the plot would be the same.
• The pacing was kind of slow at times, especially when Cliff decides to visit an old friend at a ranch filled with hillbillies. There was also the scene where Margot watches a movie for a total of eight minutes which seemed unnecessary to me. This movie could have easily been trimmed by about thirty minutes and it would have been a perfect comedy with no dull moments.

In Conclusion

The movie is a fun time if you love comedies and Tarantino’s over the top violence. I loved this movie for what it brought to the screen and I can’t really think of too much wrong with it other than the fact that it clocks in at two hours and thirty two minutes when it should have been about an hour and forty five minutes. Overall, the characters of Cliff Booth and Rick Dalton were the highlight of the movie and I can easily see them as the modern day Vincent Vega and Jules from Pulp Fiction. There were some pretty kick ass fight scenes and excruciating violence but that’s something you should expect when you go in to see a Quentin Tarantino film. If only the pacing was a little better then the movie would be a five star film with ease, but since it feels sluggish at times, I am going to have to give this movie four stars out of five. It is damn near close to being an outstanding film with zero flaws! For the ninth film, Tarantino still knows what the audience wants to see in a movie and he delivers one hundred and twenty percent with this hilarious movie. Go out and see this movie in the theater, you will not regret it one bit! I know I didn’t! If you enjoyed my review of this movie then be sure to share this article around on social media! I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you!