This film is a little all over the map. It never stays at one speed for long, and it springs back and forth jarringly such that it almost feels like 3 act play written by 3 different Tarantinos. The mid-late film feels particularly rushed. Instead of the tension building to a natural crescendo, there is an overused narrator who advances time with a lot of exposition. All I could think was "Show! Don't tell." Despite the jarring tonal shifts and pacing that feels constantly unsettled. it is very entertaining throughout. The performances are solid, DiCaprio and Pitt both channel their star-power to great dramatic and comedic effect, and there is a fine supporting cast. Yet, Margot Robbie as Tate goes heavily underutilized, and it's bizarre. For the amount of screen time, she is little more than eye-candy, and she has no particular character arc or importance to the story. At the end of the day, I can't help but feel that this film didn't really have much to say. It feels overstuffed and indulgent. The commentary on Hollywood, TV/Film, Celebrity, Hippies, the 60s/70s is all pretty muddy. But, alas, it's still a very good time, and maybe it doesn't need to be anything more than a big Hollywood fantasy...a fairy tale created in Hollywood about Hollywood, and that's sort of the point and part of the charm.
Review of Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
