August 16th
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

I only have one review for you this week, but boy is it a winner. Tarantino's latest is total entertaining, and features outstanding performances from Leonardo Di Caprio and Brad Pitt.  

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Length: 160 min

© Sony -  Pitt and di Caprio are superb together

Revisionist history and a love song to the end of Hollywood's golden era seems to be the focus of this splendidly entertaining sprawling tale, a mix of fact and fiction, set in Hollywood in 1969. Rick Dalton (Leonardo di Caprio) is a bit of a has-been, once a famous TV star but never huge in movies. His long-time stunt double Cliff (Brad Pitt) seems to be the only friend left in his life. But Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and husband Roman Polanski have moved in next door, firing Rick's hopes of reigniting his career. To go into the intricacies and details of every character would possibly spoil this film. It's a movie experience to be savoured, as it rambles its way around the many interwoven lives, including those of the Manson family of hippies hanging out on a run-down ranch, once a movie set. There are some incredibly memorable scenes; a precocious 8-year-old child-actor propping up Rick's crumbling self-esteem, Al Pacino as a crazed spaghetti western producer, Cliff's extraordinary (and significant, plot-wise!) dog salivating over an impending meal, the atmosphere of cool people and fast cars in the winding roads of the Hollywood hills, and best of all the denouement - something that never happened - which rewrites history, and is a violent, typically Tarantino-esque finale that will repel some people, and delight others. The 60s sound track is absolutely stunning, and the overall evocation of the era, with its signage, cars,  hippie vibe and Hollywood glam, is inspired and flawless. Much has been written about this film, mostly positive, while the usual nay-sayers have criticisms of some of the representations of real-life characters like Bruce Lee, even Sharon Tate. All I can say is I loved it!
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended!