Once Upon A Time in Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio as famous actor Rick Dalton, who has grown tired of playing his typical roles as the “villain” on network television and hopes to shoot his career to new heights after famous couple Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski moves next door. Brad Pitt is at DiCaprio’s side as Dalton’s stunt double Cliff Booth. This film is essentially a love letter to 60’s Hollywood, showing numerous clips from older films as well as TV shows to push the storytelling to more authentic levels. 

The film also stars numerous other actors playing famous Hollywood actors and actresses such as Margot Robbie as the wonderful Sharon Tate. Whom, while not having loads of screen time, was definitely one of my favorite parts of this glitz and glamour film. When entering the movie you think you’re going to get something else, but the actual result ultimately ends up extremely satisfying. 

The film starts off slow, but certainly revs up as it continues to unravel these characters layer by layer to show you the real 1960’s Hollywood. Serving as a comedy-drama, there are plenty of laughs in the film from numerous of our starring players. There is also great drama as the Manson family shows up in the film as well. The Manson family, known for countless crimes, is also known for killing the beloved Sharon Tate in real life in her Hollywood home. Whether or not that is depicted in the film, you'll just have to go see and find out for yourself. One thing for sure is the creepiness of this family is felt at an all time high in this film. You definitely get to see deeper into the family in a way I feel has never been depicted on screen.

Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is nothing short of a cinematic masterpiece just based on the cinematography alone. When watching the film, I genuinely felt as If I had a front row seat into the lives of Hollywood elite in the 60’s. Aside from that aspect of it, the humanistic appeals from it is what made the film so amazing. Witnessing Sharon Tate and her reaction to the crowd as she went to see one of her first films was breathtaking. Also watching the wildly entertaining bond between Rick and Cliff throughout the movie is enough reason to go see it.

With an ending sure to have your jaw on the floor and characters sure to leave you wanting more, you have to see it to truly understand why the film is now the best opening weekend for Quentin Tarantino's career. Go see Once Upon A Time in Hollywood and enjoy your trip back to the past.

Echo Grade: A

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