Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood : A Film Review
Duration : 2 hours 41 minutes (161 minutes) Genre : Comedy, Drama, Period Film
Rated : R (for language throughout, some strong graphic violence, drug use, and sexual references)
Warning : Not suitable for children below 13 years of age
"Quentin Tarantino returns, refreshed, with this funny, beautiful period piece, wrapping his story's loopy laces around movie lore and history, and mixing life and art into a cool, wild collage. "
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Common Sense Media
Celebrated filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino’s 11th film this is which features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age! Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, the screenplay of this comedy drama is set in 1969 Los Angeles where a fictional aging television actor & his stunt double & longtime friend, navigate the changing Hollywood film industry! Hailed as Tarantino's love letter to Los Angeles in the 60s the film has won praises for its casting.
Narrated by Kurt Russel, the film visits 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) & his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore!
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Rick Dalton, an actor who starred in the television Western series Bounty Law from 1958 to 1963, based on Wanted Dead or Alive (1958–1961). His attempt to transition to film failed and in 1969 he is struggling. Dalton's relationship with Cliff Booth is based on that of actor Burt Reynolds & his longtime stunt double Hal Needham. Dalton is modeled on actors who started their career in Classical Hollywood, but faltered in the 1960s after their type of leading men went out of fashion!
Brad Pitt appears as Cliff Booth, a war veteran & Rick's longtime stunt double and best friend. Tarantino and Pitt have modeled Booth after Billy Jack, a character portrayed in four films by actor Tom Laughlin.
Performance-wise, both the lead stars have done their parts tremendously well; while DiCaprio has come up with a seasoned portrayal, Pitt is swashbuckling, at times, pulling the rug under the former!
Bankrolled at a budget close to $100 million, the film has a running time of 161 minutes moves on a fast track with never a dull moment!
Shot at locations in Los Angeles & California, the film is a refreshing change from the cluster of super-hero movies that have been thronging the theatres for quite some time now!
It is worth noting that when the film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, it received a seven-minute standing ovation!
Hats off to the maker for such a brilliant piece of a cinematic classic!
The film’s only sore point is the way Bruce Lee has been showcased, perhaps, that is what is called cinematic license in Hollywood, since once upon a time!
R.S.Prakash
Film Historian, Journalist & Critic