Best Pictures #60
2019 (92nd) Academy Awards Best Picture Nominee
“I hired you to be an actor, Rick, not a TV cowboy. You’re better than that."
There are certain filmmakers that settle into their distinct
style more and more with each film. Quentin Tarantino is among that group.
Tarantino has also reached the same stature in the film community that Stephen
King has in the literary world: for better or worse, he’s too successful to be
edited down. Indeed, his latest film might also be his most “Tarantino” film
since Pulp Fiction. Once Upon a in Time…in Hollywood, a sprawling
but not quite epic tour through Los Angeles in 1969 that crosses paths with
Bruce Lee, the Manson Family, and Sharon Tate, indulges in long, two-character
conversations, pop culture references (both obvious and subtle), wall to wall
pop music, flashbacks, insert shots and closeups, barefoot women, an
unnecessary narrator, cameos from actors from previous films, and, of course,
some bloody, bloody violence. There’s also an emotional maturity that we
haven’t seen since Jackie Brown.
I left the theater uncertain whether I liked the picture or
not, but by the time I got to my car I knew for sure that I had just seen the
most interesting and challenging film by Tarantino in years. I also knew I had
seen one of the best films of 2019. Tarantino always manages to surprise us,
even when his films are set around historical events.
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Rick Dalton, a former TV cowboy
who can now only land roles playing the villain of the week on other shows
(many of them, Green Hornet, The F.B.I, Lancer, are real
shows). A Hollywood agent (Al Pacino in a small but well-played part) offers
Rick a second chance as a leading man in Italian spaghetti westerns. Rick takes
this as proof that he’s a has-been. DiCaprio does the best acting of his career
as the washed-up TV cowboy, especially in the scenes of him on the set of the
TV western, Lancer. In a wonderfully written, beautifully performed scene
between Rick and a child actress DiCaprio expresses vulnerability in a way he
never has with any character. 10-year-old Julia Butters proves to be a worthy
scene partner for DiCaprio (which is no surprise if you’ve seen her steal every
scene on the TV show American Housewife).
Brad Pitt plays Cliff Booth, Rick’s stuntman, driver,
handyman, and only friend. If Rick is washed up, Cliff is un-hirable. He may,
or may not, have killed his wife and gotten away with it (Tarantino shows us a
brief ambiguous flashback) which, along with his irresponsible behavior on set,
doesn’t endear him to stunt coordinators. Pitt’s performance is not exactly
showy, but it is pronounced. Cliff is a character with no self-illusions; he
has an easy confidence and Pitt is very comfortable in the role. It’s not his
most challenging performance but it is one of his most memorable.
Margot Robbie plays the beautiful rising star Sharon Tate.
She and her husband Roman Polanski, the hottest director in Hollywood, have
just moved in next door to Rick. The few scenes that follow Tate as she goes
about her day play more like distant observations that idolize her rather than
moments that show us an inner life or build her up as a character. Robbie
doesn’t have many lines but she still brings her enchanting screen presence to
the role, which in this case is all that is required.
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood has a fun, brilliant
energy. Since you are essentially just hanging out with Rick and Cliff as they
go about their days there is a slight episodic feel as the movie goes on but the
pacing is smooth and steady. In each scene you’ll find Tarantino’s signature
sharp dialogue and interesting, colorful characters, both fictional and
fictionalized. A long scene that places Cliff at the Spahn Movie Ranch, home of
the Manson Family, is the most tense and frightening scene Tarantino has ever
done. It’s a Hitchcockian scene bursting with suspense. The most entertaining
scene in the entire movie is a long flashback to Cliff’s fight with Bruce Lee.
This scene has caused a lot of controversy (Lee’s family has called in
disrespectful) because it suggests that Cliff, a stuntman with no training,
could have possibly won in a fight with Bruce Lee. I don’t think the scene
pokes fun at Lee; if anything, Lee getting thrown without padding into a car
door so hard it leaves a crater and then just shaking it off a moment later
makes this Bruce Lee look pretty badass. It’s also a delight to watch Mike Moh’s
great performance as the larger than life Bruce Lee.
The Hollywood of this movie feels like a very lived-in
world. Nothing feels completely brand new. The sets of TV shows are
deglamorized work places. Everything from the hip and not so hip clothing to
the cars to the homes feel like the people in this movie have actually been
using them. Little details like radio commercials for movies, old TV
commercials, movie posters, and billboards all add up to a total immersion in
this time period. It’s this immersive, authentic feel that is at odds with the
film’s final act, the night of the Sharon Tate and her houseguest’s murder. Tarantino,
never one to let a story go where you think, does something unexpected which,
honestly, I should have seen coming. It’s right there in the title, “Once Upon
a Time…” Despite all of the intricate details, it seems this film is a fantasy
after all.
The final act won’t work for everyone, there’s also plenty
in the rest of the movie that won’t work for everyone (like having one of the
leads be a potential murderer). There have been many, many discussions and
arguments about nearly everything in this movie; it’s rare that we get a film
that sparks such interest and conversations. Tarantino has said that he plans
to retire after his next movie. I’m skeptical of such declarations from any
filmmaker. If true, his penultimate film provides great entertainment and
plenty for us to ponder. It also has my expectations high for his supposed
final film.
Nominees: David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh, Quentin Tarantino, producers
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie
Production Companies: Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group, Heyday
Films, Visiona Romantica
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Release Date: July 26th, 2019
Total Nominations: 10, including Best Pictures
Other Nominations: Director-Quentin Tarantino;
Actor-Leonardo DiCaprio; Supporting Actor-Brad Pitt; Original
Screenplay-Quentin Tarantino; Cinematography-Robert Richardson; Costume
Design-Arianne Phillips; Production Design-Barbara Ling, Nancy Haigh; Sound
Mixing-Michael Minkler, Christian P. Minkler, Mark Ulano; Sound Editing-Wylie
Stateman
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