Once Upon a Time In Hollywood Review: Are Tarantino’s Best Days Behind Him?

Are Tarantino’s best days behind him?

I found myself asking this question walking out of the first showing of Tarantino’s 9th film, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

As B-list TV star Rick Dalton begins to realize that his fame is waning, him and his best friend/stunt double, Cliff Booth, make one last effort to gain the traction they once had years ago in show business. Meanwhile, a young Sharon Tate moves in next door to Rick Dalton, making Rick’s self realization all the more difficult to come to terms with. The entire film is set against the backdrop of a sunkissed Los Angeles, circa 1969, on the cusp of the Manson murders. While Rick and Cliff are going through the emotional trials of a career demise and trying anything to get it back, the Manson Family cult seems to have just integrated themselves into the LA area, taking residence in the old and abandoned Spahn Movie Ranch, also being where Rick and Cliff shot their breakthrough western TV show, Bounty Law. 

Let me preface by stating that I am a huge Tarantino fan, I always have been. His films have always had a tendency to be quite lengthy, and the plot is almost never told in a linear fashion, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is NO exception. With the final running time at 2 hours and 41 minutes, a pace that seemed to get a bit lost at times, and plot lines that don’t connect as well as you would’ve hoped, this became a bit tedious. The film’s plot seemed to have been somewhat uninspired, albeit entertaining. 

Now with that being said, the cast of this film brings an indescribable electricity to the screen. DiCaprio and Pitt seem to work off each other in a way that can only be compared to the dynamic Jules and Vincent duo we saw in Pulp Fiction. When you see them share a scene, your eyes are glued. DiCaprio’s acting chops are at an all time high in this film, adding tiny nuances to his character. For example, throughout the entire film, Rick possesses a slight stutter, only while he’s not acting. It also seems as if his health is rapidly declining, and we are just waiting to see him die. Yet, neither of these characteristics are ever addressed. They are just a part of Rick Dalton. 

With Margot Robbie playing the beautiful Sharon Tate, she can come across a bit one dimensional at times, but still adding a level of likability and quirkiness. She ends up not getting as much screen time as you would’ve expected. Surprisingly, some of the best acting aside from DiCaprio, was from the Manson family. Again, not getting as much screen time as you would’ve hoped (the Charles Manson character is only seen once or twice), but I’ll be damned if they don’t steal every scene they play a part in. From the trailers, posters, and even credits, it seems as if this is going to be a star studded cast, and it is, at certain points. However, being advertised as “Luke Perry’s last role!” may a bit of an overstatement. It, technically, may have been the late and great actor’s final role, yet he was only in the film for only ~20-30 minutes. Don’t get me wrong, Perry was fantastic in the amount of screen time he was given, but he could’ve been included in more of the film. Al Pacino, although playing a large role in the plot, is only seen twice. 

Overall, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood “ is a good time, and is worth your time. However, it seems like the general plot wanted to do so many things and go down so many different directions, that none of the plot lines really got the attention they deserved, and at a 161 minute runtime, it could’ve been managed better. Essentially, this could’ve been two or three stand alone movies, that could’ve all connected when they needed to without forcing it. 

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