This maturity stems from the two central characters - and their respective performances - at the heart of this movie.
#Watch once upon a time in hollywood movie#
Sure, you still get flashes of that signature Tarantino flair along the way when actors go back-and-forth in a long scene, but this feels like his most subdued and mature movie in the best way possible. Lots of Tarantino fans are also going to be thrown off by the movie’s tone, which nearly reaches Jackie Brown levels of reserved violence and mundane conversations. I also firmly believe that while this movie can technically work at a shorter runtime, it would be far less effective and the ending wouldn’t nearly have the same impact if it had one. Part of the fun is trying to put the pieces together and figure out what it all means, especially once you arrive to a finale that simultaneously offers a clear sense of clarity while also leaving you totally baffled (I desperately want to write more about the ending but I can’t without getting into spoilers, so all I’ll say is that it’s a doozy). Why does Margot Robbie have very little dialogue? Why aren’t Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio sharing more scenes together? Is this going anywhere? The movie willingly provokes you to ask these questions during its runtime because Once Upon a Time’s greatest strength is its ability to not only predict audience expectations, but actively play into them. Structurally, the movie almost feels like an elaborate prank that’s only revealed to be a magic trick once the credits roll. I’ve just always wished for a Tarantino movie that’s as layered as it is stylish, because he usually feels like a virtuoso pianist playing music far below his skill level, yet he manages to play with such grace and improvisation that his performances can pass as high art.īut fear not: I think Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood is that movie I’ve been looking for.Īs much as I like this movie, I wouldn’t recommend it to any Tarantino fan (or anybody, really) without a big ol’ disclaimer that emphasizes that it won’t click for everybody. That’s not to say he plays it safe he still takes more artistic risks with each movie than most directors take in their lifetime. But I’ve always felt that for an auteur with such a strong grasp on filmmaking, Tarantino isn’t aiming high enough in his ambitions. Which is great! His movies are enlaced with a stylish fervor that is impossible to look away from, resulting in crowd-pleasing entertainment that is unparalleled in its ability to swoop audiences off their feet - almost as if he’s challenging you not to endlessly rewatch and overanalyze his work.
Quentin Tarantino’s movies have always existed for one main purpose: being cool.