Yay or Nay?: Once Upon A Time in Hollywood... (Film)

Just so you guys know, this will have hardcore spoilers...so if you don't want to be spoiled, and/or go in with a pre-assumed position on this film, skip it! I'm not holding back for this one, so buckle up. 

I warned you. 

So, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood... if Sharon Tate didn't die/get murdered by Charles Manson, and somebody else did. There. Now you've seen the entire movie. Now, I like Tarantino and I think he's one of the great directors and makes good movies. I do. That said, this movie was about as enjoyable as watching paint dry- it was also long, boring, unnecessarily convoluted, and absolutely should have come with a manual explaining what the fuck this story was about. Having said that (yes I know I keep stilting my arguments with "buts", BUT Brad Pitt and Leo di Caprio KICK ASS in this movie, so I will not be attacking their performances in this review. Their performances were actually one of my favourite parts of this movie, as was Margot Robbie's performance as Sharon Tate. And of course, the adorable pitbull (I don't know her name) as Brad Pitt's doggy! 

But before you crucify me for not liking this "masterpiece", as I've seen people on social media go at other people for not liking this movie, let me explain my own reasons, based on my own opinion. You might like this movie, however, I did not. And I think it's okay to have those opinions and be able to explain why. So all I ask is you hear me out. 

This is my review of Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time in Hollywood... 

The Story 

Our story takes place in Los Angeles, 1969. Actor Rick Dalton (Leo di Caprio) is dealing with the fact that his career as Western television show bad guys is leading him to become a washed-up actor with no career. While preparing to star in a pilot episode of a Western called Lancer as the bad-guy Caleb Dakota (Dakotu? I can't spell), Dalton is offered the chance to go to Rome by a big-shot producer to shoot "spaghetti Westerns". While filming Lancer, Dalton is joined with his assistant-slash-ex-stuntman-slash-possible-murderer Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). At the same time, Dalton lives beside famed actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), and her husband, the director Roman Polanski. The film follows these three main characters and their everyday lives leading up to the last few days before recounting and reimagining the occurrence of the Sharon Tate murders. 

My Thoughts 

So I'll start with the positives- the idea of the movie is unique but restricting in that if you don't know the history behind the Sharon Tate murder, you'll be very confused for a good part of watching this. That said, you do have a very wide and talented cast of actors and characters, and a cute dog that makes the experience more enjoyable (even if you watch this film in complete confusion, as I did). As I've been saying, Leo, Brad, and Margot's performances make this movie-- they make it enjoyable, and worthwhile. I will also advise you to stay to the end (I was almost ready to walk out of the movie, but I stayed) as the most brutal and fucking awesome scenes happen at the end. 

Now, for the rest of the review, it will be my rant of negatives. There are 2 things about this movie that this tank in my opinion-- the first being the length. First, better pee before you get into the theatre because the length of this movie is about 2 hours 40 minutes. Second, it has no reason to be this long, although Olga has told me that the director's cut of the film will be 4 hours. This film has the same problem that Into The Woods had. When it's natural ending happens, it doesn't end but keeps meandering on and to me, kinda spoils the story. Only in the case of this movie, the middle is completely fluff and filler for the most part and easily the 2 hours and 40-minute run-time could be cut down to 2 hours at the very least. That's because the beginning is important, some bits of the middle, and the end is the most important and that's it. Your reward comes in the last 15-20 minutes of the movie. The rest of the time is spent watching people do everyday things like listening to records, running errands, or watching movies. Or in Dalton's case, practicing lines, although Brad Pitt's storyline is a bit more interesting. I almost walked out of the theatre about halfway through because if I wanted to see people run everyday errands or do that sort of thing, I would 1) watch paint dry, or 2) go live my life, as unexciting as it is. 

Some Brad Pitt fan service for ya. 

That part of the movie where I realized I identified with di Caprio's character the most. 

This part. 

The second thing, which Olga actually brought up and I agree with is that some of the things that happen in the movie, you kind of question why they happened as they don't really serve a clear purpose towards the point of the film, or the climactic end that it comes to. Like, for example (spoilers here), what was the point of pulling a horror movie aesthetic when Cliff goes to visit an old rancher he did stunts for while driving a hippie hitch-hiker back there, to check to make sure he's okay and that the hippie troupe that lives there isn't taking advantage of him, they literally make you think that the rancher is 1) dead and decaying in the bedroom, and 2) that this creepy hippie cult has been doing his dead body. Other than the fact that this group is creepy, this plot-point with the rancher never comes up again, nor serves a purpose other than to establish the fact that these people are creepy and will eventually have a bone to pick with Cliff. The horror movie aesthetic with the rancher was not necessary though. I also don't quite get what Leo's washed up career sub-plot is about, because it's not really rectified later. I mean, it kind of is, but not really. These are just a couple of examples, but there are a few aspects of the story not properly explained, or inserted just because "movie" as I Hate Everything would say. 

My Rating 

So yeah, I wouldn't go see this movie again, nor purchase it if it came out on DVD. But that's my opinion. It's not my cup of tea though, and a waste of my time, and I think that sums up my feelings nicely on the subject. 

My Rating: ⭐⭐1/2

~Meghan