Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino found a time capsule opened it and made a movie. The time was the 60’s and the place was Hollywood. Tarantino has fun, visiting old haunts, seeing old movies, long gone TV shows and 60’s music. Of his audience he is the one most entertained. The movie has vignettes of bad acting scenes which make up a part of the movie. After a while they become boring.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt in the same movie naturally elevates expectations. DiCaprio plays Rick Dalton, an actor whose career is sliding down the peak. DiCaprio does most of the overacting in the movie. Dalton suffers  anxiety over his declining  career. Brad Pitt is cool, Ocean’s Eleven cool. Pitt is the stunt double who works for Rick Dalton. Pitt sports scars  of his profession. He plays well a tanned buffed middle aged man with his usually laidback ease. Margo Robbie plays Sharon Tate. She plays Tate almost childlike. Tate delights with glee seeing herself in her own movie.

There is a profusion of supporting actors. Al Pacino plays a Hollywood producer; he is becoming a caricature of himself. Timothy Olyphant plays a bad guy (that’s a stretch). Lena Dunham as a member of the Manson family; she is the one in the moo moo. Bruce Dern is nearly unrecognizable except  for his gravelly voice. Kurt Russell plays a stunt coordinator boss. Dakota Fanning plays Squeaky Fromme, totally unrecognizable. Some guy plays Bruce Lee, this had to be the funniest scene in the movie. This is a comedy drama crime film.

The movie is schizophrenic. Aside from aging  actors peering into the abyss, the Manson murders provide the movie’s tension . Tarantino’s signature uber violence manifests itself in the tail end of the film. You go from a breezy self-indulgent movie to Reservoir Dogs violence.

Once upon a time is the tag line for a fairy tale. Tarantino weaves a revisionist story about the Manson murders. The murders were a savage heinous crime; almost sacrosanct.  For those of us who witnessed the demented brutality the Family the murders were disturbing and indelible.  They deserve more respect than Tarantino’s script.   

Wolf of Wall Street

Wolf of Wall Street

This picture exceeded my expectations. The movie trailers give the impression that the financial crisis is trivialized by a bunch of self centered unethical egotists. These guys are in the movie, but the film is more than mere shallowness and greed. It is a story of self destruction and stupidly of ambitious people. Martin Scorsese directed a great ensemble of actors for this entertaining movie. 

Leonardo DiCaprio is outstanding. Wolf’s character is a rollercoaster of emotion. He is the consummate salesman searching for next hustle and his next high. He is a cocaine addict, an alcoholic and an indiscriminate fornicator. Animal House has nothing on the Wolf. The level of debauchery depicted in this movie would make an Etruscan blush. DiCaprio’s characterization of Wolf is the polar opposite of his performance of the Great Gatsby. This is the mark of a great actor.

The company he started is basically a boiler room with high pressure salesmen churning commissions.  He is the leader of this frat house where morality is checked at the door. The manic highs eventually give way to crushing lows and paranoia when the good times cease. DiCaprio plays the bad equally well with the good. There are some scenes played unintentionally funny. If you re offended by sex scenes you will be very offended.

Margot Robbie is wife number two. Her stunning beauty is complemented by a delightful Brooklyn accent that some men find sexy (not bad for an Aussie). Their marriage tumbles from hot sex to bellicose fights. Her beauty belies tenacity and toughness to the chagrin of Wolf.

Jonah Hill basically disappoints. He is the co-founder of the company run by DiCaprio. He does not do much until the end of the movie. Hill plays the same character in all his movies. He plays the winey chubby under achiever who gets trounced reaching for an uncertain goals. Jonah Hill did not leave a mark on this movie.

It was a treat  seeing Rob Reiner in an acting role. He is now a famous director, but in the day he was the lovable Meat Head from the sit com All in the Family. His comic talents have not diminished.  Eventhough his role was brief he provided some laughs as the Wolf’s father. 

Jean Dujardin (silent film The Artist) played the role of a sleazy Swiss Banker (French Swiss). He was very funny and funnier when he spoke only French. If he continues appearing in American movies he can be our modern Maurice Chevalier.

Is The Wolf of Wall Street a microcosm of the financial crisis of 2007? Maybe. Wolf’s people are the bottom of a crowded scum barrel.  They eviscerated customers for the commission. Would it be nice to say in the end Wolf got what he deserved? See the movie and find out.

p.s.- Bathroom alert, the movie is one minute short of three hours.