In 1969, a group of cultists under orders from their leader, Charles Manson, broke into a house north of Beverly Hills, and savagely murdered everyone therein. Including actress and then wife to renowned director Roman Polanski (who was in Europe making his next movie at the time), Sharron Tate, who was also eight months pregnant at the time. Manson chose this particular house because it was the former residence of a music producer who denied Manson a record deal. Although this producer no longer lived in the same house anymore, this clearly did not discourage the cult followers from carrying out their disgusting and unforgivable deeds. I feel that it is vital for me to mention this historical event because, like most of the people who will see this movie, this event was before my time. I was born in 1984, so I did not grow up with this knowledge. I had to read about it and look up some videos on YouTube about it. Before seeing today's movie, I was aware of the kind of evil person that Charles Manson was, and that he had murdered people as well as encourage his followers to kill as well, but I was not aware of this particular set of murders. It was only after seeing the movie did I take the time to learn the history of the tragic event and gained a greater appreciation for this movie. Because in addition to being the well written, superbly acted, and the well-crafted film overall, it is yet another excellent addition of Quentin Tarantino's filmography of "Symbolic Historical Fantasy Wish-Fulfillment."
The film's story is relatively similar to one of Tarantino's previous films Pulp Fiction, in that it is really a collection of stories and vignettes that are all interconnected. The "main" story as it were, centers around a television actor named Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his best friend/stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). To say any more about the story beyond that would constitute spoilers and I believe that the less you know about the story proper, the more profound your experience will be with this film. Likewise, to explain any further of its relation the Charles Manson murders and his cult would greatly diminish the impact of the film's climax. Which, in all honesty, is arguably the craziest, most graphic, and yet most pleasant "what if" scenario I have ever seen put to film. It has to be seen to be both believed and appreciated.
Having said all of that, the film proper is really well made. As you might expect, the acting is top-notch. The whole cast delivers a wide variety of drama, comedy, meta-humor, and a trace amount of coolness for good measure. The writing, as you might also expect from a Tarantino script, is witty and intelligent (for the most part). It seamlessly swims through things like the true nature of Hollywood, the film industry, the perception of fame, and the true nature of success. For good or for ill, most of the hallmarks you would expect from a Quentin Tarantino film are present and accounted for.
As much as I did enjoy and appreciate this movie, I do have a few nitpicks. I wish that the script could have spent just a little more time exploring movie magic like camera tricks and special effects, I personally didn't really appreciate the film's depiction of the legendary Bruce Lee, and my biggest nitpick of all, Quentin Tarantino really, REALLY needs to put his foot fetish in check.
Much like Quentin's previous films Inglorious Bastards and Django Unchained, his latest outing must be seen to be believed and appreciated. It is both a love letter to cinema buffs like myself and a tender fantasy providing a sense of symbolic justice. It's a film that plays around with history to showcase how things could be a lot better if we all just take a moment to figure out what is most important in life.
Is this movie worth seeing?
Yes.
Is it worth seeing in theaters?
Maybe.
Why?
While I do highly recommend you see this film, it may be better enjoyed at home.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.
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