Tarantino's knowingly self-indulgent and meandering Hollywood fable pays loving tribute to a bygone era, but is somewhat lacking when compared to his very best work. However, the moment to moment musings and interactions are exceedingly gratifying. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood playfully rewrites history in order to facilitate a more exultant narrative. Expectations are toyed with and later subverted when a Hollywood stuntman inadvertently prevents the Sharon Tate murders by means of a devoted attack dog and copious amounts of head trauma. It's amazing. Also, Tarantino's meticulous attention to period details makes this one of the more impressive recreations of the 1960s ever put on film.