Look, I say that, but I did enjoy it. It was classic Tarantino in many ways and that made me very happy, but it was also just a bit sluggish and disconnected. But after the great disappointment that was The Hateful Eight, I was at least more pleased with this subject matter. It also had what I loved about Inglorious Basterds, in that it focused on real historical events, and then just turning them on its head for a different/better outcome. And the gore, let’s not forget the gore! I could have used a little more, but the final scene in the movie made up for it for the most part.
So, in case you’ve been asleep at the wheel, Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood centers on an aging actor and his faithful stunt double, Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth. It shows what a drunk and a has-been Dalton has become, and how off-putting Booth is (it’s alluded that he killed his wife and got away with it). On the flip side of that, you see that Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate are Dalton’s new neighbors – so cool! The moment that loosely connects them is that one day, Cliff gives a cult follower a ride back to the Manson family ranch.
This encounter basically deters the would-be Tate murderers to get murdered themselves by a drunk, flame-throwing Dalton, and an acid-tripping booth. That end scene was truly fantastic in all its gory greatness! The rest of the film was muddled by too much dialogue and disjointed stories. All of that is basically made up by the never-ending cascade of cameos (always my favorite thing). And while the plot was slow, the acting on all fronts was top-notch; particularly by leads DiCaprio and Pitt – bravo fellas!
Overall, if you are a Tarantino fan, then this is a no-brainer can’t miss. However, if the story line was all that was really intriguing to you, I’d say skip it and maybe go to Hollywood instead (seriously, that’s be so cool). I’m hoping he’s got more than nine movies in the cannon, and I’m ready for the next great installment!