It’s easy to point out some of the most notable trademarks
of director Quentin Tarantino, whether it’s his knack for snappy dialogue or
how he often goes against traditional storytelling conventions (e.g.
the non-linear narrative of his 1994 classic Pulp Fiction). And yet, it
can be argued that perhaps his most famous directorial trademark is his
extensive knowledge of film thanks to an entire lifetime spent watching them. Because
of this, every Quentin Tarantino film to date is chock-full of references to
other films, whether it’s a homage to a specific genre (e.g. the Kung-Fu, spaghetti
western, and revenge thriller films that inspired Kill Bill) or if
they’re just simply brought up during conversations between characters. And
while this aspect of Tarantino’s work has proven to be a bit more controversial
in recent years, it’s still undoubtedly one of the main reasons why he
continues to be one of the most prolific filmmakers in the industry, which is
especially apparent in his newest film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Serving as Tarantino’s ninth directorial effort (and, per his own words, his
second-to-last film before he plans on retiring), Once Upon a Time in
Hollywood truly is a love letter to the Golden Age of Hollywood as it’s set
in its final days before the New Wave took over in the ’70s and ’80s. In the
process, it also covers one of the most infamous events from that time, the
rise of the sinister cult known as the Manson Family. However, when it comes to
effectively combining its two main storylines into one cohesive narrative,
that’s where the film admittedly starts to stumble.
The year is 1969 and the film industry has begun to undergo
some radical changes. Of the various stars living in Los Angeles, none are
arguably affected by this more than Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio). For years,
Rick was the star of the popular Western TV series Bounty Law, but ever
since the show’s cancellation (due in large part to his growing addiction to
alcohol), he’s now been limited to less fulfilling villain roles on other shows
like Lancer and F.B.I. And if that wasn’t enough, Rick soon
discovers that his new neighbors are prominent film director Roman Polanski
(Rafal Zawierucha) and his wife, rising starlet Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie).
Thus, having recognized that he’s quickly becoming a has-been, Rick sets his
sights on ways to rejuvenate his career, which sees him rely heavily on the
support of his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Instead of just
following the advice of casting agent Marvin Schwarz (Al Pacino) and going to
shoot Spaghetti westerns in Italy, Rick plans on getting acquainted with
Polanski, who’s fresh off his 1968 directorial effort Rosemary’s Baby.
However, things become rather complicated when Rick and Cliff end up having a
run-in with a group of hippies who have been living at an old Hollywood ranch
with their ‘leader’, Charles Manson (Damon Herriman).
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is ultimately two
stories in one. One is the story of an actor struggling to resuscitate his
career in an ever-changing industry while the other focuses on the dangerous
Manson family and their infamous crime that was the 1969 murder of an
eight-month pregnant Sharon Tate and four other witnesses. And to be perfectly
blunt… these stories do not gel well in the slightest. The film ultimately
focuses more on Rick Dalton’s attempts at relaunching his career, which
would’ve worked perfectly as its own film. But because of this, the whole
subplot involving the Manson family feels incredibly tacked on. There are only
about one or two major sequences involving the Manson family in this nearly
three-hour film and Charles Manson himself is literally only in one scene. This
especially comes into play during the film’s finale, which has undoubtedly been
its most polarizing aspect. Obviously, I won’t spoil anything from it here for
those who haven’t seen the film yet, but I do understand why it’s so
controversial because of the real-life context behind it and how the overall limited
use of the Manson family arguably cheapens its impact. And yet, despite the
film’s often inconsistent narrative, it still gives us exactly what we’ve come
to expect from a Quentin Tarantino film. He still gives us plenty of great
dialogue-based sequences, with many of them doing a phenomenal job when it
comes to building up suspense that ultimately results in a solid bit of payoff.
If anything, it’s clear that Tarantino hasn’t lost his stride when it comes to
his sharp dialogue, which makes it unfortunate that the rest of the film isn’t
quite as tightly focused by comparison.
Like any Tarantino film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is
a premier case of an actors’ showcase, and it’s all highlighted by the dynamic
lead duo of Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. While this may only be the first
time that these two legendary stars have worked together, their camaraderie is
superb, thus perfectly conveying their characters’ tight-knit friendship.
DiCaprio brilliantly handles Rick Dalton’s ‘fall from grace’ arc and is also
given a bunch of opportunities to flex his comedic abilities thanks to
Tarantino’s knack for dark humor. Pitt, meanwhile, brings the same cool aura
that he often brings to a lot of his performances as Cliff Booth, who also has
an enigmatic vibe to him thanks to a subplot (that, admittedly, feels like it
doesn’t get as much attention as it should) revolving around a long-standing
rumor about him. Closing out the film’s trio of leads is Margot Robbie in the
role of Sharon Tate. Robbie fully commits to the role of Tate, excellently encapsulating
the late starlet’s mannerisms and effervescent spirit. Unfortunately, her role
in the film ends up being one of the worst cases of underutilizing an actress
in recent memory as she’s barely in it, effectively serving as another example
of why everything with the Manson family ends up feeling incredibly extraneous.
The rest of the film’s stacked ensemble cast is basically a who’s who of recognizable
faces, from Tarantino regulars like Kurt Russell and Bruce Dern to reliable
supporting players like Al Pacino and Luke Perry in what is ultimately his
final film role. Admittedly, most of them are just in it for a single scene
apiece, but at the very least, they do make the most out of their limited
screen-time.
For film fandom, a Quentin Tarantino film is practically the
very definition of an ‘event film’. Whenever one’s released, it’s practically
guaranteed to be one of the most anticipated films of its year and, in turn,
usually ends up being one of the best-reviewed films of that year. This is
certainly the case this year with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood… which makes
things rather awkward for me since, unfortunately, I found it to be rather
underwhelming. Now before any of you film buffs get on my butt about this, let
me be clear; this doesn’t mean that I think that the film was ‘terrible’
because it’s not even close to being that. When the film presents a scene
that’s classic Tarantino, it’s handled just as brilliantly as some of the most
iconic moments in previous Tarantino films. However, while Once Upon a Time
in Hollywood may have all the hallmarks of a classic Tarantino film, it’s
fatally undermined by an unfocused script that can’t decide on which story it
wants to tell. Simply put, this should’ve just been the story of an actor who’s
past his prime and trying to cope with the end of Hollywood’s Golden Age. But instead
of just focusing on one storyline, it also tries to incorporate another in the
form of the Manson family and their murder of Sharon Tate. However, this is ultimately
done in a rather haphazard manner as the Manson family subplot is extremely underdeveloped,
which certainly isn’t helped by the limited screen-time of Tate despite a phenomenal
turn from Margot Robbie in the role. As such, while I’m aware that I will ultimately
be in the minority on this, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ends up being
one of the weaker outings of Quentin Tarantino’s career as it lacks both the
punch and soul of the various classics that have defined his career. Sure, it’s
generally well-made and features an excellent cast, but at the end of the day, it
just feels… empty…
Rating: 2.5/5
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