Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood - Review

For my full thoughts, check out my YouTube video.

In short, I do believe this is Tarantino's weakest film, but it is still a good movie. Even Tarantino's bad movies are much better than the average summer movie. This is one of those films where your film school teacher will love because of the technical aspects. The direction, the acting, the writing, the production design, the music, the cinematography, the sound, all the important filmmaking aspects that you definitely need.

However, this film's story I felt wasn't enough to fully grab me and keep me invested and wanting more.There were a couple times in this movie where I was checking my watch to see how much of the movie was left, but the characters and the vibe of the movie kept me from getting completely bored and kept me watching.

I do believe that after a second viewing that I would enjoy it a little more because I honestly have no knowledge of the Sharon Tate murder or the Manson family. I was told that if you knew the story, this movie would make more sense. However, to that I say that you should be able to go into any movie and still enjoy it without having to do homework before going in.

A film that many film buffs will enjoy, but to the average movie goer, it might be a bit of a drag even with the star studded cast.

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That was my original review. After watching it again, I still agree with what I said, but I enjoyed it much much more. I heard an interview of Quentin Tarantino talking about how much he admires the film Dazed and Confused and how he described it as one of the best "hangout" movies he'd ever seen. That is this movie. This is the hangout movie for Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth in Hollywood in the 1960's. The story, there really isn't one. Rick Dalton is concerned about his fading film career and he learns to put his ego aside for the performance. Cliff Booth, is a stuntman who gets caught up with the Manson family. Sharon Tate... is in the movie because Tarantino has this thing for tall, thin, blonde, white girls. There really isn't a deep compelling story here, it's substance takes a back seat to the atmosphere and the style.

Just know that going in and I'm sure you will enjoy the movie quite a bit. If you are looking for a compelling story, it's not really here.