Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
15/08/19 Filed in: Cinema
Whatever you think of Tarantino you have to admit that he makes films like no other director. The trailer sold me and I wasn't disappointed. It is 18 rated, of course, but compared with some of his earlier films the amount of blood on display is actually greatly reduced. But there is violence with the usual Tarantino comic twist, despite the severity. But this doesn't come until the end and could leave you feeling that it was entirely justified - maybe!
Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are wonderfully cast as Rick Dalton, a cowboy actor whose star is waining, and Cliff Booth, Rick's long time stunt double. Two fine actors harmonising perfectly. Following a meeting with producer Marvin Schwarz, played by Al Pacino, Rick is convinced that he's a has-been. Cliff on the other hand, a truly laid-back character, remains positive.
Rick has a house on a private road whereas Cliff lives in a tip of a caravan that has definitely seen better days, along with a dog that looks mean but is impeccably trained. Hang on to that fact as it will be important much later on. Cliff's neighbours are the customers in a drive-in movie plot whereas Rick finds himself living next to Roman Polanski and his wife Sharon Tate, convincingly portrayed by the beautiful Margot Robbie. As you might imagine this is also very relevant to the plot.
And the final thread to the story is, of course, the Manson Family. Portrayed here as a bunch of young hippies who wander the streets and reside at the Spahn Ranch. Pussy, one of the young women, catches Cliff's eye on a number of occasions as he's driving through town. She eventually gets him to give her a lift to the ranch where Cliff immediately senses that all is not right. But Cliff is not easily intimidated, as one young hippy finds out after he puts a knife in the tyre of Rick's car, which Cliff was using.
Inevitably the plot lines come together and Tarantino pulls together the historical facts into a story line that you feel you know. But that , of course, would be far too easy. Expect to be surprised.
There are a host of interesting little cameos. The cowboy clips reminded me of my boyhood love of TV cowboy series. Sharon Stone's sweet reactions when she goes to see herself in a movie after introducing herself to the cinema manager. Cliff taking on Bruce Lee, who was then featuring in the Green Hornet. Bruce Lee fans will not be amused by his depiction in this film, and they will have a point. Having said this, Mike Moh offers us a convincing characterisation of Lee the man, but not Lee the fighter. And there's Trudi, a precocious 8 year-old with her own named director's chair, who brings Rick to tears as she sympathises with a fictional character in a book Rick is reading. A character whose life's disappointments are similar to Rick's.
This is a film of many parts and makes the best of an impressive cast. Not to be missed.
And the final thread to the story is, of course, the Manson Family. Portrayed here as a bunch of young hippies who wander the streets and reside at the Spahn Ranch. Pussy, one of the young women, catches Cliff's eye on a number of occasions as he's driving through town. She eventually gets him to give her a lift to the ranch where Cliff immediately senses that all is not right. But Cliff is not easily intimidated, as one young hippy finds out after he puts a knife in the tyre of Rick's car, which Cliff was using.
Inevitably the plot lines come together and Tarantino pulls together the historical facts into a story line that you feel you know. But that , of course, would be far too easy. Expect to be surprised.
There are a host of interesting little cameos. The cowboy clips reminded me of my boyhood love of TV cowboy series. Sharon Stone's sweet reactions when she goes to see herself in a movie after introducing herself to the cinema manager. Cliff taking on Bruce Lee, who was then featuring in the Green Hornet. Bruce Lee fans will not be amused by his depiction in this film, and they will have a point. Having said this, Mike Moh offers us a convincing characterisation of Lee the man, but not Lee the fighter. And there's Trudi, a precocious 8 year-old with her own named director's chair, who brings Rick to tears as she sympathises with a fictional character in a book Rick is reading. A character whose life's disappointments are similar to Rick's.
This is a film of many parts and makes the best of an impressive cast. Not to be missed.