The much-awaited Quentin Tarantino’s film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has released in the US and is proving to be a masterclass in filmmaking. The film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Al Pacino and Margot Robbie in the lead is based in the 1960s Hollywood and has the major events of the era woven into its plot. It is the ninth film of Tarantino and since he has claimed that he will be directing only ten films in his career it becomes necessary to pay a visit to the nearest theatre to watch the film.
Tarantino’s obsession with history and cinema collide in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood that brings the Manson murders that marked the end of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Leonardo plays the role of TV western star Rick Dalton with Brad as his veteran stunts double Cliff Booth. Leonardo struggles to stay relevant in the changing Hollywood scenario. The film is slated to release on August 15 in India. However, here are some snippets from reviews that will help you make up your mind to watch it or not and also give some context.
Common Sense Media said, “Quentin Tarantino returns, refreshed, with this funny, beautiful period piece, wrapping his story's loopy laces around movie lore and history, and mixing life and art into a cool, wild collage.”
Variety wrote, “It's a heady, engrossing, kaleidoscopic, spectacularly detailed nostalgic splatter collage of a film, an epic tale of backlot Hollywood in 1969, which allows Tarantino to pile on all his obsessions.” While Washington Post wrote, “It’s not clear that the deep meaning Tarantino attaches to an ugly, utterly meaningless act will resonate with anyone else as strongly.”
Plugged In gave a thumbs-up to the film and wrote, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood ushers us into the last light of Hollywood’s Golden Age—romanticizing it, glorifying it and sullying it.”On the other hand, the Wall Street Journal said, “Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” excites you, delights you, lulls and seduces you in the spirit of its once-upon-a-time title.”
Talking about the performance of DiCaprio and Pitt, WTop.com wrote, “The film’s driving engine is the bromance between DiCaprio and Pitt, who’s described as “more than a brother, less than a wife.” It’s fittingly set the year Paul Newman and Robert Redford delivered the ultimate buddy picture in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969). Who better to portray studs for this generation than the hunks from “Thelma and Louise” (1991) and “Titanic” (1997), this time moving from chiseled to grizzled during shirtless rooftop repairs?”
Well, here’s how Once Upon a Time in Hollywood fared in the eyes of the critics which should definitely make you go and watch this film.
(Source: Common Sense Media, Variety, Plugged In, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal)
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