Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
By Joanna Langfield
Quentin Tarentino’s combustible fairy tale is blissfully entertaining. It also reveals a new perspective from the already legendary filmmaker.
There was no denying the talent that burst onto the scene with Pulp Fiction. Or the love of movies and the people who make them in Jackie Brown. Here, Tarentino deepens all that, bringing us a hilarious, impeccably researched timepiece, honoring the starry scene of Hollywood, just before the all too real revolutionary Sharon Tate murders of 1969. No spoilers, but this sprawling salute (which at 161 minutes feels somewhat like we’re getting the director’s cut) is as tender as it is explosive, as wistful as it is a whole barrel of fun.
The action (and yes, I do mean action. This is, after all, a Tarentino film) centers on a great Leonardo DiCaprio, who gets to do just about everything he shows us he can as on-the-verge-of-washed-up TV star Rick Dalton. Right along side is his stunt double in all things, a glorious Brad Pitt, who, just as his character Cliff might, lets DiCaprio lead the way. Until it’s his turn to shine and then, oh boy, does he ever.
There’s a great supporting cast, led by an ethereal Margot Robbie as next-door neighbor Tate. Keep your eyes peeled for some dandy cameos as well as impressive turns from Margaret Quale and Julia Butters. Unsurprisingly, the fantastic soundtrack, evocative audio clips and other timely cultural references are just fab and certain to hit the hearts of viewers of a certain age.
While I highly recommend letting this emotional film do its thing, in other words, not reading too much before going in, I do hope those who aren’t familiar with the Tate story do a quick brush up. You don’t want to miss what Attention offers us in this really wonderful film.
The Movie Minute 