(And how could you not know this? For months, trailers promoted the movie by plastering "QUENTIN TARANTINO'S 9TH MOVIE" across the screen in bold, 1970s-style lettering as if to announce the second coming of Christ.)
Tarantino has stated several times during interviews that he plans to retire after his tenth flick. If and when this happens I'll no longer have reason to be annoyed by his self-indulgence and his love affair with Hollywood.
But then again, we'll be losing a master storyteller.
Tarantino tells stories in a way that just draws me in and keeps me there. His tricks of the trade -- highly saturated colors designed to set a mood, close-ups shots that linger on a character longer than necessary, rapid-fire dialogue interspersed with extended periods of silence, non-linear story-telling, cartoonish violence, and eclectic musical scores -- are all there in Hollywood.
And the results are as good as any Tarantino flick yet.
Once Upon A Time In . . . Hollywood blends real and imagined events to tell the story of a society in transition. Actor Rick Dalton, played masterfully by Leonardo DiCaprio, struggles to find his place as the film industry and American culture evolve from a simple to a more complicated existence. Frightened and insecure, Dalton finds comfort in routine. His stunt double Cliff Booth, played by Brad Pitt, provides for Dalton the consistency and confidence he needs to get by.
Their friendship is unflappable and a real joy to watch.
Tarantino uses this Tinseltown setting to re-image the Manson Family murders of Sharon Tate and four friends that took place on Cielo Drive during the summer of 1969. Hollywood is a fairytale, after all, and fairytales are best when they combine myth with truth.
And with this movie, Tarantino tells a Hollywood fairytale that is both satisfying and fun to watch.
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