Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019 Quentin Tarantino & scr)

I must admit I faced this film with some trepidation, not wishing to face a Manson-Tate killing reenactment. I'm glad QT didn't go that way - in fact at the end, when Brad Pitt is smashing in the face of one of the cult, I strongly was getting the feeling that's what Quentin would have liked to have done to those people.

It's a marvel of a 1969 recreation, from the constant TV to those effortless street scenes. And Quentin is such a good writer. He will start you off on some merry tale, then switch horses in mid-stream without a moment's notice. Here people are constantly watching themselves on TV (memorably Sharon Tate - Margot Robbie - with her dirty feet in the cinema) but he goes further than that by then having Rick Dalton (Leo) appearing in the film-within-a-film, a joyous spaghetti western (seamlessly interrupted by retakes).

The scene on the ranch is memorably scary - we both had a Birds moment. And talking of references - the ending - the screaming woman in the pool - Barbara Steele??
The camera in the back of the car - very Truffaut...
'A cowboy film in Rome...' The spaghetti westerns...
The way the camera moves between the houses..

With - Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley (Fosse/Verdun), Timothy Olyphant, Julia Butters (the child actor - what a great scene!). Austin Butler (Tex), Bruce Dern, Dakota Fanning, Mike Moh (Bruce Lee - what a great scene!), Luke Perry, Damian Lewis, Al Pacino, Nicholas Hammond (Sam Wanamaker), Rafal Zawlerucha (Polanski), Lena Dunham, Mikey Madison (who we recognise from Better Things).

Photographed by Robert Richardson, edited by Fred Raskin, production design Barbara Ling (less CGI than I thought - real streets - even Starbucks agreed to have their shop front changed, which never happens), costumes Arianne Phillips. These names and Quentin's will all be coming up in the awards nominations.

Want to watch two hour 40 minute film again already - see, Marty? See?

And the dog.. Can't stop adding to review, can't stop using ellipses... The scene with Brad on acid and Tex with the gun is so funny.

In a funny way it's un-Tarantinoish - there's no rediscovery of a really catchy song, no juicily quotable dialogue exchanges...

Of the various films referenced, hadn't seen George Peppard Pendulum nor Tate's own Wrecking Crew.

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