A film review: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
The latest Quintin Tarantino film is slick; as you’d expect. It’s a tad bizarre at times; as you’d expect. And it’s a very entertaining way to spend nearly three hours.
Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an ageing actor with a serious drinking problem. His best days, when he stared in top TV shows such as a The Bounty Hunter back in the early ‘60s, are behind him. Times are changing.
Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) is Rick’s stunt double, and almost his valet. He drives Rick everywhere, ever since Rick lost his licence for drink driving, and does various odd jobs around Rick’s house, situated in an upmarket area of Los Angeles. Other than that Cliff lives in a caravan behind a drive-in cinema with an extremely well trained dog; the love of Cliff’s life; aside from, platonically, Rick.
There are various other storylines woven into the film.
One involves the actress Sharon Tate, who lives next door to Rick with Roman Polanski. Played beautifully by Margot Robbie there is a lovely scene where Sharon goes into a cinema to watch herself in The Wrecking Crew (1968) clearly overawed by seeing herself up on the silver screen. Tragically the real Sharon Tate will go on to be murdered by members of the Manson family not long afterwards.
There’s also a side plot involving a group of hippies living in the hills above Los Angeles, on the ranch where Rick and Cliff used to shoot The Bounty Hunter. Some of the more disturbed members of the group will merge with the main plot line in the finale to the film.
Leonardo DiCaprio is superb as the burnt out, stuttering, depressed alcoholic. One scene in particular stands out. He is shooting a pilot, as the villain; a sign that career options aren’t good. And, in this scene, he keeps forgetting his lines. Afterwards, he goes back to his trailer and trashes it, promising never to drink again. It’s quite interesting watching a brilliant actor playing a bad actor.
Brad Pitt was also good, but not a patch on his performance as Roy McBride in Ad Astra (2019).
I must also mention Julia Butters, playing an eight year old child actress in the pilot mentioned above. Only 11 years old in real life, Leonardo DiCaprio has compared her to a young Meryl Streep. One to keep an eye on.
The film moves along fairly sedately by Tarantino standards, and at one point I began to wonder why is was even an 18 certificate. But then, the finale. A very typical Tarantino finale; violent, brutal, non-sensical — but, at the same time, mesmerising and compelling viewing. The scenes in Rick’s house, which involve, amongst other things, a stoned Cliff Booth, his dog, a can of dog food, a gun and two knives are quite amazing. Oh, and there’s also a flame thrower—thrown in for good measure.
But, for me, the final scene is the one that has stayed with me. After a typical Tarantino style frenzy, Rick is finally introduced to Sharon next door. Sharon’s friends, and Rick, then proceed to walk calmly up the driveway chatting away as if it had been just another day at the office.
Great film.
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