ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (2019) – My rating: 7/10

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a comedy-drama written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is an international co-production between the United States and the United Kingdom. I was really looking forward to seeing this movie — I am neutral as to the quality of the movie but I feel it is worth seeing.

****  SOME SPOILERS  ****

In February 1969, Los Angeles actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), star of 1950’s Western television series, Bounty Law is now a struggling has-been. Realizing he is no longer the young budding star he was in the 50s, Rick shares this revolution with his best friend and former stunt double, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), that his career is over. Cliff, a war veteran, lives in a trailer behind a drive-in movie with his pit bull, Brandy.  He drives Rick (whose license is suspended) around town and relies on him for work because there have been rumors circulating that Cliff got away with killing his wife.

Meanwhile, actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and her husband director Roman Polanski (Rafał Zawierucha) have moved next door to Rick’s house, causing him to have dreams of befriending the couple in order to restore his failing status.  Charles Manson (Damon Herriman) stops by Polanski and Tate’s house looking for record producer, Terry Melcher, who used to live there but is turned away by Tate’s ex-boyfriend, Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch). Cliff later picks up a young hitchhiker he’d seen around town, named Pussycat (Margaret Qualley) while driving Rick’s car. He drops her off at the Spahn Movie Ranch, where Cliff shot Bounty Law. She tries to persuade him to stay, but he is suspicious of the large number of hippies squatting on the property.  Worried that owner George Spahn (Bruce Dern) is being taken advantage of, Cliff insists checking on Spahn despite Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme’s (Dakota Fanning) objections; Spahn dismisses Cliff’s fears. Returning to his car, Cliff discovers that Steve Grogan (James Landry Hébert) has slashed his front tire; Cliff brutally beats Grogan and forces him to change the tire. Manson girl, Sundance (Cassidy Hice) goes to fetch Charles “Tex “Watson (Austin Butler) but Cliff is driving away by the time Watson arrives. Meanwhile, Rick lands the role of a villain in a new series called Lancer. He strikes up a conversation with his young co-star Trudi Fraser (Julia Butters), a method actress. During one of his scenes, Rick struggles with his lines due to his alcoholism and later has an emotional breakdown in his trailer. He returns and gives a powerful performance that impresses the director and Trudi, bolstering Rick’s confidence. After watching Rick’s performance as a guest star on an episode of The F.B.I., director Marvin Schwarz (Al Pacino) offers Rick the opportunity to shoot a Spaghetti Western in Rome.

I really didn’t dislike Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, I thought it was a bit slow at times and downright boring at times.  I wasn’t sure where this movie was trying to take me or what the moral of the story was until the end.  Tarantino rewrote a story everyone knew and made it the way he wished it had ended.  This twist was a big surprise that made the movie worth seeing.  The acting was absolutely brilliant. FYI: This was the last film to feature (Luke Perry who played Wayne Maunder) and died in March of 2019. This also became the first Tarantino film not to be associated with producer Harvey Weinstein, after Tarantino cut ties following sexual abuse allegations against Weinstein in October. The Hollywood Reporter wrote that critics had “an overall positive view” of the film, who called the film “Tarantino’s love letter to ’60s L.A.” and praised its casting choices and setting, though some were “divided on its ending.”  Bounty Law is based on Wanted Dead or Alive (1958–1961). Rick Dalton’s relationship with Cliff Booth is based on that of actor Burt Reynolds and his longtime stunt double Hal Needham. Once Upon A Time… isn’t for everyone however, I highly recommend it to those who like a good fantasy ending.  Check It Out!

THE REVENANT (2015) – My rating: 8.5/10

Dress warmly before you go to see The Revenant because this film takes place in the freezing cold. The entire movie never encounters a warm moment. The Revenant is brutal and because of one man, it’s incomprehensible. This doesn’t mean you won’t understand The Revenant, it just means the actions, evilness and disregard for another fellow Human Being will baffle you to the point of ambiguity, denial and/or contempt. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the role of his career as Hugh Glass, a frontiersman on a fur trading expedition set in 1823 Montana and South Dakota.

A quasi-military group of trappers are hunting for pelts in the unsettled wilderness of the Louisiana Purchase, under the command of Captain Andrew Henry.  A hostile Native American Tribe called Arikara ambushes the hunting party.  Only one third manage to escape, salvaging as much as they can while still under attack from the Arikara. To make matters worse, Glass the most experienced guide with the hunting party is mauled by a grizzly bear and severely wounded, further slowing down the party who is still being pursued by the Arikara.  Because Glass is so near death, one of the hunters, John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) suggest they put Glass out of his misery by killing him thus freeing the rest of the men to move faster.  Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson) the hunting party leader, offers payment to anyone who stays behind and cares for Glass while the rest of them moves on.  Jim Bridger (Will Poulter) a younger hunter and Hawk (Forrest Goodluck) Glass’ son volunteers to stay along with John Fitzgerald who will receive an additional bonus if he makes sure Glass gets a descent burial, if and when he dies.  Not to spoil the rest of the movie, I’ll only say this film really begins at this point.  The grizzly attack was nothing compared to the ensuing journey from this point on.

The Revenant is an adventure, drama, thriller that last 2 hours and 37 minutes long.  It’s directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and has already won 3 Golden Globe awards for Best Motion Picture – drama, Best Director and Best Actor.  Out of all the movies I’ve seen in 2015/2016, I didn’t think The Revenant was the best but I do think it’s a good film that you’ll certainly enjoy. I actually liked the Hateful 8 a tad bit better, but that’s just my opinion.  Check it out for yourself!

[THE REVENANT is nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Directing, Cinematography, Costume Design, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Film Editing, Production Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Visual Effects]