CinemaCl🎃wn’s review published on Letterboxd:
What is Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood? What isn't Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood? It is Quentin Tarantino's love letter to the craft & industry that's been his world all his life. It is his heartfelt tribute to Hollywood's Golden Age that basked in the glamorous, sunny scene of 1960s Los Angeles. It is his tip of the hat to spaghetti westerns that influenced his filmmaking style more than any other genre. It is his longing for the rolling reels & film stocks that are already becoming relics of the past. It is also an attempt from him to step out of his comfort zone and create something different from the norm that feels fresh yet familiar. And it is the penultimate station in his directorial journey that brings him to the moment where he now wants to give back and expresses his gratitude in the only way he knows.
The 9th feature film by Quentin Tarantino is unlike any of his previous films. It presents the revered auteur in a completely new light yet brims with everything that we associate with his works. It's bright, breezy & beguiling, it's delicious, detailed & delighting, it's honest, hilarious & heartwarming, and it's vivid, vibrant & vivacious. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood is a labour of love that celebrates all things cinema. A beautiful & bittersweet ode to the art of creating a motion picture, the film serves as his eulogy to a bygone era & its yesteryear icons and is painted with nostalgic brushes. Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt & Margot Robbie shine throughout in what's 2 hours of Hollywood reminiscence and 30 mins of classic Tarantino doing what classic Tarantino does best. One of his finest, if not the finest, and certainly the most joyous & heartwarming film of his career. Highly recommended.
