We loved this treat for most film buffs, the story of an insecure actor and his best friend/stunt double in 1969. It's chock full of homages, references, and spectacular set dressing and picture cars.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt have great chemistry as the buddies, fictional actor Rick Dalton and stuntman Cliff Booth (DiCaprio and Pitt were most recently in these pages for The Revenant and Allied, respectively) and Margo Robbie (last blogged for Mary Queen of Scots) is angelic as Sharon Tate, who was real, in case you didn't know.
Fans of director/writer Quentin Tarantino (most recently in these pages for The Hateful Eight) are no strangers to his penchant for over-the-top bloodbaths. This has just one (restrained for the auteur), toward the end (which is why I say it's for "most" film buffs). Jane asked me if I thought she would be able to stand it. I said I thought she could shield her eyes and stay in her seat because she will know it's coming.
I've told this story before but it's relevant here. In 1982, I had read that there was a torture scene in real time in Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs before seeing it. In the movie, when someone was tied up and the music got creepy, I walked out and listened to the screams from the hallway. When the screams and music died down I returned to my seat. Done.
The cast here is enormous and and the celebrity portrayals are too numerous to mention but it's fun to note the children of stars in this include Margaret Qualley (daughter of Andie MacDowell, she plays Ann Reinking in the miniseries Fosse/Verdon) as Pussycat, Rumer Willis (daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis) as actress Joanna Pettet, and Maya Hawke (daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke) and Harley Quinn Smith (daughter of Kevin Smith) as random Manson girls.
The ads for this refer to its being Tarantino's ninth movie. He has actually worked on more, but it's his ninth as director/sole writer, beginning with Reservoir Dogs. He has been saying for a few years that he'll stop at ten.
The fabulous production design is by Barbara Ling (I've enjoyed her work in True Stories (1986), Less Than Zero (1987), The Doors (1991), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Falling Down (1993), Batman Forever (1995), and No Reservations, to name a few) and set decoration by Nancy Haigh (I've seen most of her movies, listed here, and liked her sets in all). I recently met a film art department professional and told him how much I loved it when Brad Pitt opens the cabinet in his home to reveal an assortment of cans, all perfectly chosen for the scene.
The songs, listed here, are wonderful, especially for those of us who already knew them. You can stream them from Spotify and Apple Music.
The extensive trivia notes on imdb are pretty fun, if you have the time and interest, but stop before you get to the spoiler section. Really. Tarantino begged The Cannes audience not to reveal spoilers after seeing it. You know I won't and I exhort you to follow my example.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics are averaging 85%, though its audiences are at a mere 70. If the violence won't freak you out and, especially, if you are one of "most" film buffs, you should certainly see this.
