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“Freely interweaving his own inventions with the myths and legends of Hollywood’s late golden years, Quentin Tarantino delivers one of the most exuberantly sharp-witted meta-movies we’ve seen.” – Sight & Sound
The most anticipated film of this year’s Cannes (and premiering there almost 25 years to the day after Tarantino won the Palme d’Or for Pulp Fiction), Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood is a love letter to, and elegy for, the Golden Age of American movie-making as well as a long overdue feature double bill for Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. Quentin Tarantino’s 9th film sees the pair co-starring as ageing TV actor and wannabe movie star Rick Dalton and his stunt double/driver/best friend Cliff Booth. It’s 1969 and Los Angeles is changing, while Tinseltown is on the verge of losing its innocence.
Featuring a brilliant supporting cast that includes Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Damien Lewis, Damon Herriman and Luke Perry in his final big-screen role, Once Upon a Time... remains at heart a buddy movie for its perfectly matched, ultra-charismatic leads. It’s also the iconic director’s most personal film: among its many serpentine storylines and characteristic Tarantino flourishes and obsessions lies a very cinematic nostalgia and even empathetic sweetness. Three-time Oscar-winning cinematographer (and frequent Tarantino collaborator) Robert Richardson shot on 35mm, and for this special premiere at MIFF Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood will screen on 35mm to make the most of its gorgeous celluloid texture.
“An absolute blast, a pure, giddy rush of thrillingly confident, expansive filmmaking that showcases the most resonant and satisfying storytelling Tarantino has given us in over two decades.” – Sight & Sound
