Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood (2019)

Title: Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood

Year: 2019

Genre: Comedy | Drama |

Runtime: 161 min

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Starring:  Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie

 8,0/10

A VAGUE LOVE-LETTER WHERE MANSON SAVES IT

Walking into a Quentin Tarantino feature, it would only make sense to see the principles the known director tends to follow. He always uses a regular actor to return in his movies, to play a key role in the stories. He’s not ashamed to use an extravagant amount of dialogue scenes that at first doesn’t make sense but later it might. He does several intercut scenes or text where it supposedly is not necessary to be explained. Then, what he is most acknowledged for probably beside the extended dialogue is the R-rated violence that often Is over-used in several regards. But the violence doesn’t often intend to be realistic, mostly because he adds sound effects that distanced you from that experience.

Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood is his ninth feature and it’s four years since the last time. The Hateful Eight didn’t give the true essence on how to provide a sharp and intelligent movie, as you could expect from Tarantino. I do like Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in this even if the plot is momentarily failing to bring me into the story. As it has been early noticed by Tarantino, it has been showcased, how he truly admires the 1960’s and what it means for him personally as he has said this is one of his more personal movies. A more personal story as he has before showed that he loves movies and cinema together with music. A majority about the movie is about Hollywood, actors, and filmmaking from that specific time with a Tarantino-message by the end and filled awkward comical scenes. Sometimes, these scenes are unnecessary and distract you from the main plot.

DiCaprio is a decent actor in this, but it’s not his best performance, neither is Pitt or Robbie ground-breaking in their roles. A lot of things that happen doesn’t feel as authentic as you might wish it would. Therefore, it’s very casual about how the movie plays out. The cast and the crew are doing this movie on routine. A rehearsal. As it takes plays in during six months in 1969, it wouldn’t be as interesting as it would without the Manson-family line in order.  Without the Manson-track it would not be interesting and would be boring. It’s also a way for Quentin Tarantino to express his hates towards hippies and making fun of the Manson-family. Only he knew how to use violence intact.

There are some weird scenes and some edit that is very unnecessary for the story and it feels sometimes too long, the character feels stuck at one or two points and Tarantino needs to find a way to write him or her out of it. For being a feature-film by Quentin Tarantino, it’s abstracting comedy fills the void with violence and gives the result of a vague love letter to the golden era in Hollywood.