This was actually the first BP-nominated film I watched this awards season, but I’ve been putting off writing about it (for a while now…) because I just didn’t like it at all. Basically, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is revisionist history–or, to be even more accurate, it’s a fairy tale based on actual events that took place in Los Angeles in 1969.
The film mostly follows two main characters: Rick Dalton, a formerly successful TV actor who’s a bit down on his luck, and Dalton’s stunt double, Cliff Booth, whose physical abilities are nearly super-human but who’s struggling financially (especially due to Dalton’s inability to land major roles). Oh, yes–and Dalton lives next door to Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate, which leads any student of modern history and/or Hollywood history to assume the ending of this film is going to be gruesome and disturbing.
If gruesome and disturbing are what you’re looking for, you won’t be disappointed with this movie. What with the foul language and the filth of the characters (physically and morally), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is never a feel-good, warm film. It has some suspense, and the combination of Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt provides an interesting dynamic (especially as Leo is cast against type). Still, the ending of the movie–wishful thinking, though it seems to be–leaves much to be desired. I think it’s supposed to be creative, but it was so gruesome that I ducked under my blanket for a good long while.
Why This Film Might Win BP:
Hollywood always loves movies about itself, and some people have gone as far as calling Once Upon a Time in Hollywood an ode to the end of Hollywood’s golden age. Leo and Brad play their roles well and are supported by a good cast. I suppose one could call the writing creative; but again, I’m not a fan of Quentin Tarantino’s work, so I’m definitely not in this camp. This film is odd, and Hollywood loves oddity nearly as much as it loves itself, so this movie could definitely win BP tonight.
Why This Film Might Not Win BP:
In my mind, as we approach tonight’s ceremony, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is running third in the race for BP after 1917 and Parasite. Tarantino’s film glorifies old Hollywood, features two of the most popular actors of our time, and transforms what we would expect to be the ending of the story in a way that is supposed to make us feel good (I didn’t feel good…). However, this is not a beautiful movie in any sense, whereas 1917 is. And Once Upon a Time in Hollywood‘s bizarre ending is still not as shocking or thought-provoking as Parasite‘s twists and turns. Plus, there is quite a bit of controversy surrounding Tarantino’s portrayal of film legend Bruce Lee and more than a little discomfort with how the movie messes with a historical moment that Hollywood would not like to revisit too often.