Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: Ominous Comedy

Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood starts as a comedy along the lines of Wodehouse's episodic stories about posh Bertie Wooster and his man Jeeves. "Rick Dalton" (Leonardo DiCaprio) is the pretty boy movie star who suffers one embarrassment after another, trying to resuscitate his career with guest appearances on TV in 1969. "Cliff Booth" (Brad Pitt) is his rugged, competent stunt double, but also his valet, chauffeur, repairman, and life coach. DiCaprio and Pitt appear to be having so much fun with each other that we root for both characters in their episodes.

We laugh all the way through the movie, at "Rick Dalton's" self - absorption, at spoofs of 1960s TV and movies, at reminders of pop music and ad jingles. Some moments I want to remember: Kurt Russell as a producer excoriates "Cliff" for fighting with "Bruce Lee" (Mike Moh); Cliff's Pit Bull dog "Brandy" so happy to see him, so fascinated by the plop of foul - looking "mean dog" dog food into a plate. There are moments to enjoy with sheer admiration for recreations of LA at the time, the cars, the highways, the airport, the neon signs of the drive - in restaurants -- all in that slightly orange - tinted color of that era's films.


The most touching scene is also one of the funniest, a conversation between has - been middle - aged actor Dalton and precocious 8 - year - old actress "Trudi" (Julia Buttress). DiCaprio tears up when she advises him, and again, when she affirms him.

[Photo: The fun of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood begins with spoofs of 1960s-era design -- poster, clothes, make - up, that Kodacolor quality]

Tarantino introduces an ominous undertone for his comedy when we learn that the perky young blonde woman next door to Rick Dalton is Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie). We remember her less from her small roles on TV and movies of the day, than from her notoriety as the most prominent victim of Charles Manson's cult of killers in August, 1969. Tarantino and the actress Robbie build our sympathy as Tate enters a theatre to watch herself in a film. It's touching how she hopes to be recognized, and how she relishes the audience's reactions to her antics onscreen.

Tarantino plays up that tension when a teenager calling herself "Kitty Kat" (Margaret Qualley) hitches a ride with Cliff to Spahn Ranch, where Charles Manson ran his cult. One emotional anchor of the movie may be a strange and tense encounter between Cliff and his old, somewhat demented friend Spahn (Bruce Dern) with Squeaky Frohm et. al. waiting outside like zombies.

Tension builds as the neighbors' stories move us nearer the time of Tate's horrific fate. The comedy seems to be over when the radio plays the Mamas and the Papas eerie record "Young Girls are Coming to the Canyon" in the car of Manson cultists driving up to the home of Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate.


The suspense built, not just because I knew that the Manson murders were approaching, but because the length of the film had pushed me past what my 60 - year - old bladder can endure. The movie is delightful, episode - by - episode, but not compelling; what pulls us forward is the question of what these comic characters will be doing when the violent night comes. Figuring that Tarantino had a surprise in store helped me to make it to the credits before I had to spring for the men's room.