Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood Review
- G
- Sep 6, 2019
- 2 min read
One thing I will say about this movie, it did subvert my expectations at several points throughout, taking what I thought would happen and pulling a Borat "NOTTT" joke, but this movie was also a rollercoaster for several reasons, lets get into it.
Story- Rick Dalton and his longstanding stuntman Cliff have been a team for a number of years, reliably making realistically entertaining westerns. This movie follows their relationship and Rick's struggle with identity and self preservation. I know this is a thin explanation but the plot is more "ambiguous" than one would describe. The movie feels like three different movies wrapped in one, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It would actually make for a very interesting analysis to see someone compare the different styles used in this movie. Maybe for a later time. Overall it was an enjoyable movie though, the dialoge is as quippy and well written as per the standard.
Cinematography/Props/Editing- The costume design was actually a standout for me in this movie. It was unique but fit with the times. With that in mind, looooots of denim as was the style. The editing was somewhat drawn out but in a good way- what I mean by that is the fact that he really utilized the editing style to present some genuine tension where I was nervous to see what happened next. The cinematography was of course beautiful. It's an interesting juxtaposition between the sprawling winter setting of The Hateful Eight and the bustling Los Angeles landscape of this movie. Lots of gorgeous neon signs and palm trees.
Acting- I'll start with Margot Robbie since she wasn't in the movie much. Despite that fact, she did a good job with what she had to do in the movie. Brad Pitt man. He just plays the kinda distant , gruff guy really well. The jokes always land with him, and he was easily one of the prime parts of this movie. Leonardo DiCaprio is just amazing in everything. I just recently watched Hoover and it was decent, but he really took that role and made it his own. Like Pitt, his jokes are just amazingly delivered.
Directing- To me, at least on first viewing, this movie felt like Tarantino was trying to replicate another Tarantino movie or The Nice Guys. With that being said, he still makes a well put together movie. He directed the actors, but let them put their own spin on it because they know what they're doing. Not much to say besides he did a quality job as always.
Soundtrack/Audio- It's a Tarantino movie, of course he compiled a great list of classic songs for this movie. I actually had the soundtrack preordered but it had a weird street date issue so I just listened to it on Youtube several times. Fantastic audio.
Final Verdict- B+. I didn't overhype this movie but I did leave the theater slightly perplexed as to what I just saw, much like I did when I watched Under the Silver Lake. What a weird year for movies.
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