We get it – Quentin Tarantino loves movies. There aren’t many film directors who make it known how much cinema has influenced them as him – and it has been both an endearing quirk in the career of a filmmaker who has built a relatively iconic reputation from the work of others (this isn’t a knock towards Tarantino at all – he has effectively turned his admiration for cinema and willingness to infuse the myriad of inspirations he’s garnered into one of the most fascinating artistic careers of the past quarter-century) and a major reason why he has perpetually been subjected to ridicule and derision, solely because he is perceived as being unoriginal, and nothing more than a glorified film lover with a big budget and an expensive camera, and the audacity to realize his ambitions. The question we need to ask: what is necessarily wrong with that? Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is a very different kind of film for the director – I am still ruminating on it, and there isn’t much I can definitively say about my thoughts on the film (I’m still trying to decide where I fall on the discourse surrounding this film). It certainly is an entertaining film, and it is far more enjoyable than many may give it credit for. Yet, there is something very different about it, a certain quality that puts it in stark contrast with the rest of the director’s career, and considering he has been the man behind some of the great modern masterpieces of genre fiction, the feeling that there is something slightly off about this film is initially worrying – but it doesn’t necessarily mean the fact that it is different is a bad thing. In fact, I’m starting to believe precisely what made this film so different from Tarantino’s other movies is the reason behind the film’s success, and what makes this such an enthralling experience.

From the outset, we should note that, as we’ve mentioned already, there is an underlying quality about this film that serves to be a departure from Tarantino’s well-known conventions – it may be a point that will be hammered in quite significantly, but when you have someone with such a distinctive style as Tarantino, anything he does differently will be noticeable. It appears as if the director has somehow decided to perhaps not abandon the childlike enthusiasm he had for cinematic fearlessness, where he seems intent on proving himself to be the most daring of the modern American auteurs, but rather to tone it down in a way that doesn’t feature nearly the same amount of showboating that his previous few films have thrived on (once again, not a criticism, but just an observation, and if anyone deserves to make their talents known, it would be Tarantino, because he at least has the evidence to support it).  Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood seems like the most unconventional Tarantino film since Jackie Brown, mainly because it demonstrates the director at his most mature, striving to practice some form of restraint without disregarding the qualities that made him so beloved in the first place. There are over a dozen differences between what he is doing here as opposed to what we’ve seen produced by him over the past decade or so, and this is why it succeeds: it flourishes because it is different. Tarantino has always made very artistically resonant films, even in his least successful endeavours (I’m still waiting for the reevaluation of Death Proof) and each individual work has been remarkable in its own way. Where Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood differs is that it sees Tarantino experimenting with form and content in a way he previously never did, delivering something that is almost entirely unexpected – going into this film relatively blind is a bewildering experience, because you never quite can figure out where it’s heading (and to do this with a story grounded in reality is an impressive feat, and his brand of revisionism is effective without being gauche), which is only part of its brilliance, because there’s no doubt that a director like Tarantino relishes in his authorial ability to lead the audience down absolutely any narrative path – and when it comes to Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, he really uses this effectively to the point where it may be somewhat polarizing, but nonetheless captivating.

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, just on the surface, appears to be the quintessential Tarantino film, but that doesn’t mean that we should dismiss how often this film doesn’t appear to be anything close to what the director is known for, even if the subject is very much within his wheelhouse – it sometimes seems like a novice paying tribute to Tarantino, rather than hailing from the director himself. This doesn’t imply that Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is anything close to amateur, but rather that is shows Tarantino once again proving his mettle as one of his generation’s most interesting of auteurs, as it represents a reinvention of sorts, a return to the very nucleus of the creative process that Tarantino thrived on, the experimental and playful approach he used when he was starting out, and what caught the attention of audiences decades ago. Some may be disappointed in this film, especially those normally drawn to the more profanity-laden, intensely violent work that Tarantino has unfortunately been defined solely by over the course of his career – there’s a sense that he was even openly commenting on this tendency by broad audiences to pigeonhole him based on certain elements of his filmmaking without actually understanding the core of why these qualities were such important parts of his film (but that’s another discussion). Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is an anomaly – considering so much of Tarantino’s work has recently tended towards being intentionally more excessive, the approach to make something much lighter seems fresher and more audacious, and hearkens back to the early days of his career. There is an underlying maturity to this film, and a sensitivity to much bigger issues, that proves to be a watershed moment for Tarantino, and coming at this point in his career, we need to wonder how serious he is when it comes to talks of his retirement, because if anything, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood hints at some very promising things to come for the director going forward, which is strange in itself, especially at his juncture in an otherwise folkloric and highly lauded career. How many directors of his stature can attest to inciting such rabid excitement this late in his film career?

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood features Tarantino in a proverbial tug-of-war between styles and conventions. In looking at this film, we need to divide it into two categories: what the director does differently, and what he retains from earlier in his career, with the brilliance occurring between them, and how his approach is so refreshingly real and earnest. Tarantino is not depending as heavily on his well-honed style as he normally does and often abandons some of his best-loved qualities in an effort to not only subvert expectations but to craft an experience very different from what he has done before. However, he doesn’t disregard the elements that made him so popular in the first place, but rather uses them in contrast with a slightly newer approach to filmmaking. Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is less violent and does not feature the same loose profanity that has made Tarantino something of a controversial figure by those who don’t quite understand the intention behind his satirical use of these narrative elements. It also sees him less intent on a particular narrative thread (as has become his style in the past decade), but not quite dismissing metanarratives (as he did so wonderfully with Pulp Fiction), with this film occurring in between, and being a very experimental approach that did pay off, as the result is sophisticated and a breath of fresh air for a director who we thought we had seen the extent of his innovation. This isn’t even mentioning that it is his most optimistic film, one that uses Taratino’s distinctive tendency towards historical revisionism not for anything other than to show that somehow, if one is tenacious enough, there is some hope on the horizon. Not to mention, the climax of this film is the most gloriously unhinged sequence Tarantino has ever filmed, almost seeming to comment on his reputation and style, which he subverts in the most intelligent and effective way possible – say what you want, Tarantino has a keen sense of self-awareness, and an understanding of the artistic landscape and his place in it. Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is Tarantino at his most self-assured and confident – he’s ascending to the status of an elder statesman of film rather than a plucky indie upstart and thus has nothing left to prove other than to display the command he has on his craft.

We haven’t really seen this kind of film, both in terms of the story and the way it is told, from Tarantino, and he takes full advantage of the potential behind a film like this. Essentially, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is an episodic look at Hollywood in a variety of forms, set in the ambigious period of 1969. It was the end of an era, not only socially and politically, but culturally as well.  Classical Hollywood was officially over, and New Hollywood was taking its formative steps. The definition of a leading man was changing along with the artistic zeitgeist, and while some managed to take advantage of it, someone like Rick Dalton suffered profusely, as well as those around him. Hollywood was in flux – throughout Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, we encounter a wide range of characters. Some were at the very beginning of their careers, some feared that they were at the end. Tarantino doesn’t portray the film industry as stagnant and consistent – the only regularity that existed in Hollywood at the time (and still persists to this day) is that change is inevitable – trends come and go, artists succeed and fail, and no one can ever really predict what will be popular next. This film is the closest Tarantino has ever come to replicating the audacity of Pulp Fiction in terms of how it looks at parallel stories through a familiar thematic framework and how they contribute to a wider, more metaphysical tapestry of society, showing how a variety of individuals navigate a hostile and volatile environment that is always privy to change. Yet, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood feels so much bigger, almost intimidating but still enthralling in many ways: a wild joyride of a film, one that meanders with fierce intensity throughout a particular period of time with such ferocious conviction, it is difficult to ever get a full sense of everything this film is saying, as there is so much below the surface. It is a film that presumably lends itself better to repeat viewings, which only help provide insight to the immense detail underpinning the film, and makes it an even more enriching experience. Its also such a fun film, audiences will be flocking to have another turn on this riveting cinematic ride.

Once again, Tarantino has assembled a cast that is more than equipped to handle the intense nature of his work – and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood reunites the director with two of his most interesting collaborators, Leonardo DiCaprio (who gave one of his most memorable performances as the ultimate villain in Django Unchained, perhaps the most despicable character ever created by the director) and Brad Pitt (who was astounding in Inglorious Basterds, which was one of the key moments in his career revival) as the leads, Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth. Both actors seem to be firing on all cylinders here, giving performances that are in the upper tiers of their respective careers, and proving themselves to be extremely cohesive with Tarantino’s madcap but heartfelt artistic intensity. DiCaprio is better than ever as Rick Dalton, the faded former star of a highly successful Western television series, relegated now to playing the villains in one-shot guest appearances on the exact kind of shows that he used to command before. DiCaprio is incredible here, finding the humour and pathos in equal measure, and constructing Rick into a compelling character that may be a departure from the actor’s more traditional performances that see him play characters normally associated with the more heroic. He’s not afraid to make a fool of himself (any actor that works with Tarantino and refuses to let go of their pride and willingness to surrender to the fun of it all will result in quite some trouble, as some performances over the years have shown), with his work here being a true comedic tour de force. Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood has some of DiCaprio’s finest moments, and it’s a great reminder that he is amongst the best of his generation, a status that is not ill-earned in the least. Much like The Wolf of Wall Street, which is often considered his finest performance, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood sees DiCaprio harnessing his underrated comedic timing in a way that isn’t only entertaining, but thoroughly authentic, proving that he simply seems unable to do any wrong and that the next stage of his career is something worth looking forward to.

Brad Pitt, on the other hand, has a very different character to DiCaprio, but he is no less impressive, even if his role is slightly less impactful in terms of his role in the story. The symbiotic relationship between the two actors is terrific – they play off each other so well, and complement the other performance with such tact and rugged elegance, it becomes a pleasure to watch two actors in their prime working alongside each other – its ultimately very surprising that this is the first time the actors have worked across from each other in a feature-length film, as their chemistry would suggest a mutual comfort that is normally only developed after years of collaboration. Pitt’s performance is the picture of New Hollywood cool in the role of Cliff Booth – calm and collected to a fault, it is a performance that relies very much on the actor’s natural charm and effortless screen presence, and while it is a far less excessive performance than DiCaprio’s, being much quieter and more introspective, it works well in the context of the film (and makes the outrageous ending all the more effective). The pairing of the two superstars is not merely a ploy to attract attention – the duality between them is remarkable, and while DiCaprio may be the core of the film, Pitt is the heart, the element that gives it the gravitas and soulfulness that separates this from many of Tarantino’s more cold and clinical representations of humanity. Pitt has a certain comic timing that is hardly utilized beyond the occasional quirky comedy, but it is in full force here, with Cliff being a terrific exercise in comedic subtlety, and when taken alongside DiCaprio’s more over-the-top, broadly hilarious performance, there is a certain comic kinship between the characters that would not have been present had these ridiculous characters not been played by acclaimed actors at the very peak of their creative careers.

However, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is certainly not limited to the two leads, as there is a range of other performances that may not take up as much space, but do make just as much of an impact. Like any of his recent films, Tarantino fills this up to the brim with a range of performers of different magnitudes – there’s the beloved and world-famous veterans, the acclaimed character actors and a bevvy of newcomers that make considerable leaps in their careers through appearing in this film. Much of the promotion was centred on Margot Robbie’s performance as Sharon Tate (understandably so, considering the film was backgrounded by the impending Manson Family murders), and while she was certainly good, it was far more a subdued performance than one would expect – some may see it as a missed opportunity to give a gifted performer like Robbie another great character, others as a more introspective and intensely emotional performance that doesn’t rely on anything traditionally lavish in portraying a real-life individual who had an immense amount of potential. Robbie is obviously tremendous, but she sometimes feels left by the wayside by some of the notable cameos, such as Al Pacino, Timothy Olyphant (both collaborating with Tarantino for the first time, and proving to be perfect matches for his distinctive style), and relative newcomers like Mike Moh, Margaret Qualley (who is on the precipice of success, with her wide range of high-profile projects that have sprung up over the past two years), and most surprisingly of all, Julia Butters as a young actress based quite clearly on Jodie Foster and her early career as a child prodigy, giving one of the film’s most exciting performances, whereby her young age does not factor into her ability to give a fascinating portrayal in any way. The ensemble of Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is obviously large (unless I’m mistaken, this is Tarantino’s most extensive cast), but more importantly, they’re all excellent, and fit into this world with effortless finesse. Many of these performances are small or single-scene roles, but they’re all welcome additions to a sprawling but captivating film.

There is so much that we can say about this film, and it is something that should be dissected for a number of reasons: on a technical level (once again, the director composes a crew of the industry’s very best), and on a narrative level (there is a lot of meaning underlying this film, conveyed in the smallest details). However, the very simple truth about Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is that it is a film borne solely out of Tarantino’s love of cinema, and there isn’t much else to justify it other than it being a passion project. It also makes sense that this film would appear at this point in his career – after nearly three decades of making films influenced by the Hollywood that Tarantino wishes that he could’ve been a part of, it seemed only natural that he would make a film that isn’t only inspired by cinema, but rather serves to be a broad and exuberant celebration of it. Unlike his recent films, there isn’t much allegory or symbolism present in the story that requires much deeper readings, with the film mainly operating as a poetic love-letter to New Hollywood from one of the most ardent devotees of cinema in existence. This is why it becomes difficult to dislike Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, because once you understand how it is the product of affection, it all starts to make sense, and Tarantino’s work here takes on a certain profound depth. The director has made a film that works less as a single-narrative piece, but a collection of scenes and moments, strung together to form a coherent mosaic of a period in cinematic history that is recent enough to be familiar, but distant enough to harbour a certain mystique to it. Moments, encounters and coincidences form the core of Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, and despite being privy to only a few of these, it becomes clear that they are the work of a director who simply wanted to pay homage to an era he loves, and giving a loving tribute to the works of art that formed him into the creative force he is today.

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is an ode to the retro era that feels nostalgic and is infused with a great deal of melancholy without ever being saccharine or sentimental. It demonstrates a considerable departure for Tarantino, who is moving towards a more cohesive form of storytelling, whereby he manages to make something that may not have the same frantic energy of his previous films, but compensates for that with a certain slow-burning sophistication, and a meticulous pace that allows us to meditate on the moment at hand rather than wondering what is going to happen next. In all honesty, I am still trying to come to terms with what I thought about the film – it isn’t something you instantly adore, and while it is admittedly a brilliant film in many of the ways you’d expect – the soundtrack is excellent, the humour is on point and the performances are astounding – the way it stands in isolation as something very different from what Tarantino is used to making may be polarizing at first, but starts to flourish into something quite unique and unforgettable. It represents all the qualities we have grown to love about Tarantino, who seems to be making a concerted effort to create something that not only gives fans exactly what they want but also to earn new followers, with Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood being quite possibly his most accessible film. It is difficult to see where this film will reside within his career in the future – it could remain just a tremendous late-career piece that is still eclipsed by his more traditional works, or it could come to be seen as his defining masterpiece, the magnum opus of a director who loves cinema more than anything else. One thing is for sure: Tarantino is just about as authentic and brilliant as they come, and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood just proves this through being a funny, heartbreaking and poetic psalm to cinema and all its idiosyncrasies, and a singularly unforgettable experience that is unwavering in its dedication to a simple but effective story. As one of the countless memorable musical cues indicates, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood really is “such a good thing, baby”.