Once Upon a Time In…Hollywood
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino
Minutes: 161
Year: 2019
Score: 8.60
Release: Sony Pictures
It wasn’t until I watched this film a second time that I even considered having it on this list. That, like a few others on this list, is a testament to the importance and value of a second round.
From SonyPictures.com:
Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood visits 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore. The ninth film from the writer-director Quentin Tarantino features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age.
When I watched this for the second time I viewed the special features first and that helped a lot. The story and script are strong, and this is the film in which DiCaprio should have won his first Oscar. But, to me the strengths are in the details.
There was plenty of talk about how this is a love letter to Hollywood, heck, it is the title of one of the special features, but with that featurette I was better able to enjoy the entire universe of this film. I know that Tarantino has an affinity for all things film but I guess I didn’t realize that it was about all of things LA in the 1960s.
One thing that had me leary after the first viewing, and it still bothers me, is that I don’t think the Charles Manson story was necessary. Tarantino said in an interview that what really interested him is the relationship between an action star and their primary stunt double. I think that the film would have worked just as well without the Manson bits sprinkled in. But, that would have stripped out Quintin’s trademark violence and it would have upset fans and might not have really been the film he wanted to make, but I think he could have pulled it off if he wanted to. Alas, it is what it is, and the film is still on my best of the year list.
However, I do think this is a strong addition to a collectors shelf. There are a decent amount of special features, and the features presentation is strong. There is also a special 4k edition, with a vinyl record, but I stuck with the standard blu-ray.
Special Features:
- Additional Scenes (25 minutes)
- Quentin Tarantino’s Love Letter to Hollywood
- Bob Richardson – For the Love of Film
- Shop Talk – The Cars of 1969
- Restoring Hollywood — The Production Design of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
- The Fashion of 1969
Director: 10 – Cinematography: 10 – Edit: 6 – Parity: 2 – Main performance: 10 – Else performance: 9 – Score: 10 – Sound: 7 – Story: 7 – Script: 10 – Effects: 10 – Design: 8 – Costumes: 10 – Keeps interest: 10 – Lasting: 10