The Director's Series: Quentin Tarantino, No. 5

 


Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Starring:
Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Margot Robbie
Director: Quentin Tarantino
About: Tarantino has a unique style and often has some big, violent sequences. That's true here. This is one of his later films, and one I enjoy. This is set in 1969, and it follows a fading star (DiCaprio) and his best friend and stunt man (Pitt). It also intersects with real events, following Sharon Tate (Robbie) and a version of the Manson Family. In fact, the climactic events of the film are a Manson Family attack where, in a bit of revenge fantasy, our cinematic heroes pull the rug out and save the real life victims. That didn't sit well with some, and it does feel a bit more awkward here than when the gambit was used in another of Tarantino's films, but that doesn't significantly detract for me. There is a great style here and some great performances. It's particularly a showcase for Pitt and DiCaprio, and I'm fascinated by their fictional story and the way this era is brought to life. If anything, the Sharon Tate of it all feels like a bit of a distraction. However, this is still one of my favorite of his films and a masterfully crafted epic.

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