Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

Movie
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

2019 | Crime | Drama | Thriller

161 mins United States

A TV actor and his stunt double embark on an odyssey to make a name for themselves in the film industry during the Charles Manson murders in 1969 Los Angeles.



Produced by Columbia Pictures
Director Quentin Tarantino
Writer Quentin Tarantino
Cast Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant, Austin Butler, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern, Al Pacino and Kurt Russell

Main Image Courtesy: Columbia Pictures.
Images And Data Courtesy Of: Columbia Pictures.
This content (including text, images, videos and other media) is published and used in accordance with Fair Use.

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Andy K

Added this item on May 23, 2018

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) Reviews & Ratings (64)
9-10
34.4% (22)
7-8
34.4% (22)
5-6
26.6% (17)
3-4
3.1% (2)
1-2
1.6% (1)

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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) reviews from people you don't follow
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Andy K (10823 KP) rated

Aug 14, 2019  
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
2019 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
I didn't think my face could smile for 2 hours and 41 minutes straight!
Guess what? I ventured out on my day off and went to the theatre for the first time in 2019! (I'm such a loser!)

There are so many QT fans out there and probably just as many who think his films are trashy and pointless. As a true film fan, I can't not love not only his unique approach to film-making, but also his appreciation for the art of film and the constant homages he pays to film of year's past.

The first thing to talk about is the film's perfect tone and look of 1969. The costumes, hairstyles and music of the period was right on, but even more than that was the art direction and cinematography. Almost every scene has a vintage movie poster, retro theatre marquee or period television pram playing in the background. This helps you immerse yourself in this cinematic landscape almost immediately.

Can I also say the movie had opening credits! (Bring them back please !?!)

Basically, a Hollywood television/B movie actor and his personal stuntman navigate their Hollywood lifestyles in 1969 amidst the Playboy Mansion and the Charles Manson cult. The roller coaster goes from movie sets to retro Hollywood and everywhere in between. We also meet Sharon Tate. She loves her world of budding stardom and basks in the opportunity to be famous.

QT takes his usual liberties with historical facts, but can't say too much more than that here. If you are used to this in his other films like Inglorious Basterds, it won't bother you here either. He always seems to manage to make every actor look great and brings the best out of them and this film is no exception. Even actors with smaller roles like Al Pacino, Dakota Fanning and Luke Perry shine in their limited screen time.

As usual, his score was playing constantly throughout the film and complemented the situations remarkably well. I am sure I will be downloading some of them for myself later on.

QT has talked about retiring which would be a shame. I have pretty much loved everything he has ever done so losing a truly one of a kind cinematic voice such as his at such a young age would be truly heartbreaking.

(10)   
Show all 8 comments.
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The Marinated Meeple (1848 KP) Jan 9, 2020

I really wish I liked it as much as you do!
(2)

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Ryan Olson (1 KP) Jun 25, 2020

One of my favorite movies of 2019. It gets even better on repeated viewings
(1)

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Dean (6927 KP) rated

Aug 22, 2019  
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
2019 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Great cast (0 more)
Way too long (2 more)
Painfully slow
A bit pointless
Disappointing
There will always be a lot of hype for a new Tarantino film. After seeing a trailer for a peek of Hollywood in '69 this looked interesting. It has a large ensemble talented cast playing many of the stars of the era.
Unfortunately there doesn't appear much point to this film until the last 15 minutes. Up to then it's very slow and overly long at nearly 2 hours 40 minutes long. It jumps from scenes of characters to others with little connecting them. I thought this was going to be a fairly accurate account of events that took place at the time... But it's far from that. It has its good elements but overall it was a bit of a dissapointment.
(8)   
Show all 3 comments.
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Dean (6927 KP) Jan 9, 2020

Yes it did seem a somewhat odd film overall.
(1)

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The Marinated Meeple (1848 KP) Jan 10, 2020

I liked Brad Pitts performance.... but Oscar buzz? I'm not seeing why....
(1)

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Sarah (7799 KP) rated

Aug 20, 2019  
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
2019 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
All style, too much substance
I'm a big Tarantino fan and I really wanted to like this film, but I'm afraid like The Hateful Eight before it, I just found it far too rambling and long winded.

Don't get me wrong, I get what he was trying to do here with the classic Hollywood era, I just think it has been poorly executed. Instead of going for 'all style, no substance', Tarantino appears to have gone for all style and too much substance. Visually this film looks stunning, the set design and the costumes look amazing. The cast are brilliant, there's some great supporting faces in this and truly marvellous turns from Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio. Honestly it's these two that kept my attention for the nearly 3 hour run time. The ideas are good and the dialogue is good, the problem is that there's just way too much of it. Every scene has been dragged out way past the point of enjoyment, and there are so many pointless scenes in this that could easily have been cut out without affecting the barely there plot. He could've at least replaced some of these dragged out scenes with more of a main plot, especially as the only thing interesting about this film was the small bits with the Mansons in it.

I'm starting to wonder if Tarantino is becoming a bit complacent. He's known for his dialogue, but this is just too much. Its worrying when a 3 hour film gets interesting 15 minutes towards the end, which is the only time we see any in depth violence. Had this film been cut by at least an hour, it would've actually been very good. It's just a shame it had to ramble on for so long.

I've marked this higher than I probably should, but only because there is a lot to appreciate in this film and some wonderful performances, it just should've been in a much shorter runtime. I havent seen The Hateful Eight since it was on at the cinema as I can't bear to put myself through it again, and I'm afraid to say it's the same for this.
(7)   
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Lee (2222 KP) rated

Aug 16, 2019  
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
2019 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Brad, Leo & Margot (0 more)
Far too long (0 more)
Quentin Tarantino is known for his lengthy, self-indulgent movies - some of which I've loved, some not so much. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a nostalgic homage to 1960s Hollywood and, at 2 hours 41 minutes, it is certainly lengthy and self-indulgent. But, despite some outstanding performances, it's probably at least an hour too long, and proved to be a real test of my patience and endurance.

Leonardo DiCaprio is Rick Dalton, a TV and movie star best known for repeatedly saving the day in the now cancelled TV show 'Bounty Law', where he played a classic screen cowboy. Rick is struggling to come to terms with his fading career, and the feeling that Hollywood is moving on without him. His best, and only friend, is Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), who has been Rick's stunt double over the years. Work for Cliff has dried up following rumours that he murdered his wife and Cliff now spends his days as Rick's driver, odd-job man and general shoulder to cry on. He seems fairly relaxed about his simple lifestyle though - returning each evening to his trailer, and faithful canine companion Brandy, before picking Rick up bright and early the next day in order to drive him to whatever production set he's currently working at.

Meanwhile, successful young actor Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) has moved in next door to Rick along with her husband, director Roman Polanski. This is the area where Tarantino weaves fact with fiction and if you're not familiar with the Manson murders of 1969, it's probably worth reading up on a little bit before heading into the movie. On the night of 9 August 1969, three followers of cult leader Charles Manson entered the home of a heavily pregnant Sharon Tate and brutally murdered her and the friends who were with her at the time. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood begins a few months before those events, and then takes its sweet time in slowly building towards it.

If it weren't for the performances of everyone involved, this would have been a much harder watch for me. Brad Pitt is the best I've seen him for a long time here, all smiles and laid-back charm, a real interesting and enjoyable character. Leonardo DiCaprio is also on fine form as the broken man struggling to cling to fame and when the two are together, they're a lot of fun. Margot Robbie, has far less to do in her parallel story-line, but still manages to shine in her charismatic portrayal of Tate.

What does make the movie harder to watch is the run-time and, as I said right at the start, I feel this definitely could have benefited from at least an hour being chopped. Sunny LA during the 1960s is beautiful to look at, and when we're following Rick and Cliff as they cruise around town in their car it's nostalgic, vibrant and wonderful to watch. But, we get to follow the characters around town in their cars quite a lot in this movie. And, on top of that, literally every scene, no matter how significant, irrelevant or weak it may be, is dragged out far longer than it needs to be. The great scenes become diluted, and the scenes where nothing much was happening anyway, just become frustrating and hard work to hold your attention.

Along the way, our characters occasionally and unknowingly cross paths with the hippies who form Charles Manson's cult at Spahn Ranch. Cliff even has a uneasy standoff with a group of them at the ranch itself in one of the better scenes of the movie. It's these suspenseful moments that increase the tension perfectly, stoking the sense of foreboding and providing a constant reminder of the death and destruction set to come. The final 15 minutes or so do provide us with some intense, violent madness - a real wake up call after the meandering, often floundering, plot-lines of the movie up until that point. As always with Tarantino movies, there's plenty to digest, dissect and discuss but I certainly won't be revisiting this one any time soon.
(5)   
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) reviews from people you don't follow
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Erika (17789 KP) rated

Jul 27, 2019 (Updated Jul 27, 2019)  
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
2019 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
This has been the only film I've seen in theaters this July (too many kids movies), and it was completely worth it.

The only gripe I have, to start out with, was the length. QT definitely took his time to develop the characters, and to enjoy the overall nostalgia of Hollywood in 1969. I'm not really a Brad Pitt (Cliff) fan, but his chemistry with Leo was a joy to watch, and highly amusing. I really loved Leo in this, aside from his persistent Calvin Candie accent.
I really enjoyed Moh's Bruce Lee, and the scene with Cliff was one of my favorites. Another of my favorites was the ultra-creepiness of the Spahn Ranch with the Manson family.
The entire movie, I was waiting for the signature violence, and while there was a little at Spahn Ranch, the end was amazing. The last scenes had me laughing so hard, I was crying, I loved it. QT really let us know how he feels about the Manson family.

Of course, this is a fairy-tale, so the end result was different than what happened in real life. I'm for sure going to try to catch this flick again tomorrow.

Also- RIP Luke Perry, he got very little screen time, but it was great screen time.
(5)   
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Andy K (10823 KP) Jul 27, 2019

Can't wait to watch this!
(1)

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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated

Aug 28, 2019 (Updated Oct 25, 2019)  
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
2019 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Another fantastic entry into Tarantino's legacy
If there's one thing that springs to mind after watching Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is that's it's not particularly user friendly, it's not easily consumed.
It's a loooong film (perhaps a little too long), and I feel that even some proper Tarantino fans may struggle to get along with it.

The film feels like a full on love letter to Hollywood during the late 60s, and Tarantino's passion for this period is obvious.
The audience are spoiled with gorgeous shots throughout, set to a backdrop of great music (as per usual).

The cast are fantastic - I've mentioned before on here that I'm an unashamed Brad Pitt fanboy, and nothing here changes that. Leonardo DiCaprio is also great (just as he was in Django Unchained) as the two of them stick by each other as Rick Dalton's (DiCaprio) acting career starts to waver.
Living just up the road from Rick are Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate (played by a hugely charming Margot Robbie).
As the film progresses, I found myself wondering what story was trying to be told, but it does all tie up in a very Tarantino way. It's pretty glorious (no spoilers here).
The plot certainly benefits from the viewer having prior knowledge to the horrific Manson family/Tate murder.
The final 20 minutes is where things ramp up, after a very slow burning 2 hours... and after Tarantino's last 3 movies, which I found more action heavy than some of his early work, it's a different approach, and a reason why I think some people may struggle with it.
The pacing is, weirdly, most akin to Death Proof - an extremely dialogue heavy movie with a crazy final act.
But the huge amount of dialogue we're subjected to is pretty much perfect. It's a real treat if you have the patience.

Once Upon a Time... can proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest of Tarantino's portfolio.
(4)   
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Andy K (10823 KP) Aug 28, 2019

Thanks! Someone else who has good taste! 😊
(2)

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Benedick Lewis (3001 KP) rated

Aug 16, 2019  
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
2019 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Brilliant acting (2 more)
Multiple examples of excellent camera techniques, homaging a lot from that era
Superb direction
Rushed third act (1 more)
Could be too long for some people
A film for people who like to go to the cinema
Once upon a time in Hollywood is not QT’s best film but certainly not the worst. That award goes to Death Proof. It was a difficult film to market because when I got wind of his new film, it was advertised as revolving around the Sharon Tate murders/Charles “Charlie” Bronson but this film is so much more than that. The whole story meanders around like the roads around Cielo Drive, almost to the point of not really going anywhere and really just to enjoy the characters in this fictionalised retelling of that period.
It is quite astonishing that there are still people out there who would think this is a faithful interpretation of what happened and more so that QT has to publicly say ‘this is a story of fiction’ but I am no expert on the case, even though over the years I have dabbled into it through various books and news reports. 
The main thing to get across is to go in with no expectations other than QT inevitably will put his spin on things and that, really, is what will draw audiences to this film. There’s always a bit to latch onto with QT films whether it be a character or the world he has created for those characters to live in or a reference to another film or, indeed, something else. It is what makes QT so appealing. He tells stories the way he wants to tell them. That said, the third act (which actually deals with the murders), although fun and frenetic, feels a little rushed and could possibly shows signs of studio meddling with what QT wanted to focus on. That’s the main criticism of this film but the rest of it will have film academics in years to come pick apart individual sequences and dissecting them into pointless philosophical notions and semantical (is that a word?) studies that are completely off point for a long time. Do I want to bore you with how clever QT is by being able to subtly put across to the viewer through camera techniques and direction his influences of 1950s and 60s television and cinema? No, if you’re a cinema fan you’ll get those references and more on repeat viewings. If you’re not a cinema fan, then it establishes enough world for you to warrant the hyperbole ‘fantastic escapism’. The point is you’re going to enjoy this film if you enjoy going to the cinema. Well, most of you. Some may spite that statement and say Legally Blonde is where it is at. Well, if that’s your stance, go rewatch Legally Blonde as the people who came to the cinema to actually enjoy this film have no time for that viewpoint. 
See this if you love QT films. He throws in a lot of references to his body of work to make you nod to fellow audience members and silently say ‘I got that reference’. If you’re not a QT fan but a lover of cinema, especially American cinema, you’ll get more than just a kick out of it. There’s even something for the casual viewer if you’re willing to invest your time in it.
(4)   
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Nickg24 (492 KP) rated

Dec 3, 2019 (Updated Dec 4, 2019)  
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
2019 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The attack on Rick's home (0 more)
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was looking to forward to this film with such a great cast and a legendary director behind it but was left quite disappointed once it was all over.

This was Tarantino showing us how great hollywood was in the old days and how they dont make them nowadays like they did then.Dicaprios character seemed like he was heading towards a nervous breakdown for most of the film and Pitt's character was just there,hanging around and being cool.

The best part of the film was the ending,that was tarantino at his brutal,bloody and violent best,loved the way that brandy the dog helped kill the manson family members.

An enjoyable film but for me the weakest of all of tarantino's movies so far.
(3)   
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Andy K (10823 KP) Dec 3, 2019

Spoilers!

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Nickg24 (492 KP) Dec 4, 2019

Arghh sorry.Thought I had pressed the spoilers option.
(1)