Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019) ***1/2
Ever since Death Proof (2007), Quentin Tarantino films have been difficult for me to rate/review after I've seen them for the first time. Without question, there is always something (or many somethings) about them that is exciting and worthwhile, which is why I keep coming back for more. But I'm not the type of QT fan that eats up everything he serves like it's on a golden platter. QT has never made an outright failure—though the aforementioned DP comes close—but I long ago resigned myself to the fact that there wouldn't likely be another film of his that would hit me the way that Pulp Fiction (1994) did when I saw it in its theatrical run at age 14 (especially considering he has stated that he's retiring after his next film).
The purpose of that introduction is to say that his latest, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019), might require another viewing for me to fully process. That's not because it's a challenging work as far as the plot goes—it's easily digestible and nothing is particularly deep or meaningful. It's a film about people in Hollywood making movies and it's greatly entertaining, so the film does its job in that regard. No, it's because I can't quite tell if I love it or not. And part of that is because—doing my best not to spoil anything—QT decided to rewrite history. I realize that he sort of did the same thing with Inglourious Basterds (2009), but here it feels different (maybe because it's on a smaller scale).
OUATIH plays as a sort of series of vignettes, not unlike Pulp Fiction, though there is a definite through-line. Scenes like the ones with actors portraying Bruce Lee and Steve McQueen are very amusing (and pretty spot on in the impersonation department) but ultimately inconsequential. The cast is expansive and for the most part, very well utilized. The whole thing builds up to an undoubtedly impressive and brutal finale but I found myself asking "was everything that came before it worth it?" The ending felt like more of a punchline than a punctuation. I'm not saying I felt cheated exactly, but OUATIH is without a doubt, Tarantino's most comedic and "fluffy" movie (if you don't count Four Rooms (1995), which is only 1/4 his film). I look forward to a rewatch to see which way I sway.
You can find my Quentin Tarantino Feature Films Ranked list here.
The purpose of that introduction is to say that his latest, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019), might require another viewing for me to fully process. That's not because it's a challenging work as far as the plot goes—it's easily digestible and nothing is particularly deep or meaningful. It's a film about people in Hollywood making movies and it's greatly entertaining, so the film does its job in that regard. No, it's because I can't quite tell if I love it or not. And part of that is because—doing my best not to spoil anything—QT decided to rewrite history. I realize that he sort of did the same thing with Inglourious Basterds (2009), but here it feels different (maybe because it's on a smaller scale).
OUATIH plays as a sort of series of vignettes, not unlike Pulp Fiction, though there is a definite through-line. Scenes like the ones with actors portraying Bruce Lee and Steve McQueen are very amusing (and pretty spot on in the impersonation department) but ultimately inconsequential. The cast is expansive and for the most part, very well utilized. The whole thing builds up to an undoubtedly impressive and brutal finale but I found myself asking "was everything that came before it worth it?" The ending felt like more of a punchline than a punctuation. I'm not saying I felt cheated exactly, but OUATIH is without a doubt, Tarantino's most comedic and "fluffy" movie (if you don't count Four Rooms (1995), which is only 1/4 his film). I look forward to a rewatch to see which way I sway.
You can find my Quentin Tarantino Feature Films Ranked list here.
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