Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Movie Review

Probably The Least Violent Tarantino Film I've Seen

So, I saw the movie Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and it was pretty good. A bit long, but good nonetheless.

I'm not exactly sure how to describe the plot, so this one time I'm going to copy the synopsis from the IMDb page, "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood visits 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore."

I'm usually not a big fan of Tarantino, but I liked this film. His style is not my usual pick and I didn't really care for Pulp Fiction. I know I know, it's considered one of his best works, but it just didn't hit home with me. Granted I did like Django Unchained. I would say Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is one of his better films. 

As always, Leonardo DiCaprio gives a great performance. It looked as if he felt at home playing Rick Dalton. Brad Pitt did a good job as well playing Cliff Booth. I could be wrong, but it felt like Brad Pitt got more screen time than Leonardo DiCaprio. The rest of the performances were great as well.

There was some decent camera work in the film. Even though I'm not a big fan of Tarantino's style, he does know how to put a competent shot together. The color scheme fit the film perfectly, and the music was spot on.

My biggest complaint about the film is the length. You feel it. You really feel the 161 minute runtime. There are a couple small scenes I think he could have cut from the film, or made shorter. The middle of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood does drag a bit.

Now the ending on the other hand, is absolutely fantastic! I won't spoil it, but the payoff is great! Again, Tarantino typically does more violent films, but Once Upon A Time In Hollywood felt more toned down, even in the final scenes for his style. It works though, I'm not complaining, the ending really is great.

If you're a Tarantino fan, you'll enjoy Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. If he's not your typical flair, you still might get a laugh out of it, or enjoy the action when it's on screen. I think Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, is worth seeing at least once.

final score: 3.5/5