Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is, without question, the least enjoyable movie I’ve ever given an A+ to.
The writing and directing are some of Tarantino’s best. The acting was as good as you’ll see. Leonardo DiCaprio was at his best, which let’s face it: is the best ever. Brad Pitt was fantastic. My only mark against Pitt in this movie is that his character isn’t much of a stretch from many other roles he’s played.
To be fair, there were a few scenes, here and there, where I saw DiCaprio’s character from Wolf of Wall Street.
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However, even though the movie gets high marks all around, I didn’t love it. I’m certainly impressed by the acting and craftsmanship on display. I just found the setting disinteresting. It’s the 70s, for crying out loud. They thought neon was amazing. If there’s a decade that needs to be flushed down a time toilet, it’s that one.
However, I can hardly knock a movie for that, now can I?
Spoilers to come if you want them:
Going into the movie, all I knew about Manson was that he lead a cult, or something like that, and his followers killed some people. I didn’t know who, or why.
By the end of the movie I understood the reason for the movie title: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Tarantino winds the story around two characters Rick and Cliff, played by DiCaprio and Pitt, with Sharon Tate and the Manson clan in the background. He does this so well I didn’t realize the ending was fictitious until the credits were about to roll.
“Wait, they killed someone, right? … Ohhh, ‘Once Upon a Time…’” I get it now. That much was brilliant. This is how Hollywood wishes things had turned out.
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This app provides info about movies, reviews, ratings from people who have seen it before and after viewing. It has links to info about the movies. It let’s you know when there will be a lull in the action and how long it will last. If you want to know what happens during that time, you can check the brief synopsis (you have to click a link, so no accidental spoilers). It has a timer you can set (silent) to alert you to a break. It also tells you whether there is anything extra during or after the credits. It’s really a wonderful app. I’ve subscribed for a couple of years to support the developers, but I noticed some of the links to provide feedback didn’t seem to work today. They also made it free, with voluntary donations to see the pee-times. If you haven’t tried it, I encourage you to do so, and subscribe if you like it. I really hope the app is supported so it can continue to be maintained!
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I guess I should go read up on the real events of the story, but I don’t think it ends well in reality. Maybe it’s best to just roll with Tarantino’s fictitious version. I’m pretty sure I’ll sleep better.
Grade: A+
About The Peetimes: There are 4 good Peetimes, nicely spaced out through the movie. Any one of the 3 will work for you, but I suggest the 2nd one, since it is the longest and has a very short synopsis.
There are extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood. (What we mean by Anything Extra.)
Rated (R) for language throughout, some strong graphic violence, drug use, and sexual references
Genres: Comedy, Drama
The Essential Tarantino – What to watch before Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
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