Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Written & Directed by Quentin Tarantino; Cast: Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Kurt Russell, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Luke Perry, Al Pacino; 159 mins., R

Thrillingly unrestrained yet solidly crafted, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood tempers Tarantino’s provocative impulses with the clarity of a mature filmmaker’s vision. Quentin Tarantino’s ninth feature film is a story that takes place in Los Angeles in 1969, at the height of hippy Hollywood. The two lead characters are Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), former star of a western TV series, and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Both are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognize anymore. But Rick has a very famous next-door neighbor…Sharon Tate. “Once Upon a Time” strikes a chord that is distinctly elegiac and unexpectedly emotional, especially coming from him.” —Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times