'Quentinessential' movie if you forget Tate - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood review

Touted to be Quentin Tarantino's last, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is replete with all the 'Tarantinian' elements. Be it the feet close shots (there is even a close hand shot), blood and gore, erratic people and what not. Also, the movie is true to its time in every rite; the cars, shop's names in big block letters, Paul Revere music, Mohammad Ali is still Cassius clay, long hanging chains of stars.

The effort Tarantino takes to present the cross-section of the yesteryear Hollywood needs to be appreciated but the rapidity of things and situations aren't easily transitional for the audience.

We are introduced to Rick Dalton (Di Caprio) and his specious stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), Dalton is not in that much of a success off late he is doing the heavy but forgettable characters. The scenes that gives Dalton the urgency to keep himself relevant shows Hollywood is not a hazy and a dreamy world if you're in the wrong end, like Dalton tells about the flamethrower 'it's fun if you aren't in the wrong end of it'.

Di Caprio cannot but shine playing an actor, a skill that is second nature to him. The acting-within-acting scenes fetch unanimous cheers throughout the scene, a child artiste tells him after a shot, 'this is the best acting I have ever seen' is our emissary to Di Caprio.

Every character is very neatly written but not very well knit as said earlier about transitional problems. Brad Pitt comes across as a nonsense intolerant who breaks bones well and lets blood (No cuts of those scenes) of opponents keeping up with the Tarantino tradition. Pitt's character too stands out with the detailing. One could see scars on his body evidential of his role as a stunt double.

Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) a meteoric star, whose infamous death was said to be the nucleus of the movie, makes her presence felt just when we are about to write her off from the movie. Margot does real good as an upcoming star walking down the street titillated reading her name on the poster who is just on the brink of being girdled by paparazzi but was not.

Nowhere were we let to feel the scent of 2019, it was all vintage, every bit; kudos to art direction. Background score was simple, sparse but on the mark.

The treatment of the screenplay will be talked about in the years to come. Usually, the bad guys of Tarantino movies aren't always loud mouthed and menacing but are failing humans (Bill from Kill Bill just needs one tricky hit to get killed, Marcellus from Pulp Fiction gets raped) who when gets a whip hand not loses it cheaply. The villains who gave Hollywood a night that isn't so easy to forget were those dismissed as gypsy losers; taylor-made Tarantino villains.

Sharon Tate's life gets a twist (no spoiler) in the pen of Quentin Tarantino. It could be a tad disappointing for those who were curious to know how will Tarantino handle a semi-biopic. The finale of this movie will evoke debate in film circles but this ending takes nothing away from the craft-gifted Tarantino yet he doesn't offer anything new either.