Quentin Tarantino has a knowledge of film that would seem to be unmatched. It stems from an obsessive love for motion pictures. You see this reflected in his body of work. Each movie pulls from his love of angles and scenes, each paying homage to a medium that has brought him joy in his life. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is another showcase of his love for film and a Hollywood of yesteryear. He explores the lives of two veterans in the film industry struggling to cope with a changing Hollywood with a well known Hollywood tragedy as a backdrop. Tarantino has earned the respect of the Hollywood elites and in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood he commands some tremendous performances from two of modern films very best.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Rick Dalton) and Brad Pitt (Cliff Booth) put on an acting clinic. These characters will surely be at the top of any of their fans’ lists. The amount of unedited shots that seem to last for minutes on end is amazing. It truly showcases the pure talent both of these actors possess to become the roles they play. With DiCaprio playing an actor he is often asked to play two personas in a single take and does so flawlessly. With Once Upon A Time having very little high energy scenes, Pitt and DiCaprio are asked quite often to carry the film on their talent alone. This would be a task many would back away from or fail, but not these two. They tackle these roles head on and manage to not only carry the heavy load, but do it in a way that is entertaining and captivating with characters that are not complex but are very average. Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth are characters you feel you can understand. Their lives are ordinary in the town and time this film takes place in yet you bond with them and easily become a sympathizer. This is a testament to the talent showcased by two of Hollywood’s finest. Tarantino casts great support with the likes of Timothy Olyphant (James Stacy), Al Pacino (Marvin Schwarz), and Kurt Russell (Randy). The female lead played by Margot Robbie (Sharon Tate) does a great job of portraying another side of that Hollywood era. Her scenes lend another perspective that is needed in this film to submerge you into a past Hollywood almost long forgotten. Tarantino also casts a who’s who of current Hollywood offspring. With given how deep his thought process is, this may be intentional to keep with the “it’s not what you know, but who you know” Hollywood stereotype. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood will be reflected on in film classes for years to come.

With all of the great film making that went into this picture, it is still easy to imagine how some may not enjoy it. If you are not a Tarantino fan, or a connoisseur of film, much of this movie may be lost. It is slow paced and often feels like it doesn’t have much of a direction. It is far from the typical way most are used to Hollywood telling a story. That is partly where this film’s beauty lies. In this form, you truly get to appreciate the talent involved in this project. As usual, a Tarantino film is for mature audiences and runs a little long, however, do not let this deter you from a viewing. It was refreshing to see Tarantino take his film in this direction. He has aged and matured and it absolutely comes across in this film.

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