Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (2019) Film Review

While I was watching this, I put up a Facebook status asking if this film actually got good at any point and may have lost a friendship or two over it… because apparently it’s an amazing film. I guess that sentence makes it pretty clear that I disagree… it is stunning, but maybe I’ve just reached a point where I’ve had enough Tarantino in my life. I was just bored. So bored.

Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood won Oscars for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Brad Pitt) and Best Achievement in Production Design and was nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Directing (Quentin Tarantino), Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Leonardo DiCaprio), Best Original Screenplay, Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Costume Design, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Best Achievement in Sound Editing. It won Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Brad Pitt), Best Screen Play Motion Picture (Quentin Tarantino) and was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Best Director – Motion Picture (Quentin Tarantino).

Inception (2010) Film Review

It’s the future. Highly trained people can infiltrate your dreams and steal secrets. Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) has been doing this for years, and his own mental stability is questionable. He had a wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard) who passed away, but her image is now sneaking into the scenarios and sabotaging his work. He and his business partner Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) are hired by Saito(Ken Watanabe) to go one step further. They are to penetrate the dreams of businessman Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy) and plant an idea – the concept known as inception. They gather together a team consisting of Cobb, Arthur, chemist Yusuf (Dileep Rao), forger Eames (Tom Hardy) and architect Ariadne (Elliot Page) and take the challenge.

I loved this film so much. It’s got heaps of running, fighting, shooting and explosions that I love in an action film, but then there is plot. Heaps of plot. Confusing and challenging, but ultimately there was a cool logic that made sense – provided you buy into the world of the film. Which I totally did. What’s more, it’s a film with an ambiguous end. I love an ambiguous end. Thanks, Christopher Nolan.

Inception won Oscars for Best Achievement in Cinematography (Wally Pfister) Best Achievement in Sound Mixing (Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick), Best Achievement in Sound Editing (Richard King)and Best Achievement in Visual Effects (Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley, Pete Bebb and Paul J. Franklin) and was nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Writing Original Screenplay, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures Original Score and Best Achievement in Art Direction.

Django Unchained (2012) Film Review

The return of Quentin Tarantino. Good. I’ve always been a fan, despite having reached an age and sensitivity where I need to close my eyes during the most violent scenes and some of the hilarious dialogue makes me cringe. Thank goodness there’s a lot more to it.

Django Unchained sees Christopher Waltz (who played the massively evil Nazi in Inglourious Basterds) playing Dr King Schultz, a bounty hunter who travels America killing criminals for the reward. He finds himself hunting three brothers who he can not identify, and requires the services of Django, a slave in chains being marched across the country. Django previously worked on a plantation where these brothers were overseers, and Schultz enlists him to assist him to recognise that dispatch them. Eventually, the two men pair up to find Djano’s wife and return her to his arms. Things get bloody in the way that only Tarantino can manage.

I did enjoy this film, although I found that there were several times when it really seemed too long and I needed a break. However, the performances were so strong that I was caught up in the paths of the characters. Yes, at times they seem a bit too smart for their own good, but they have to be. And yes, those who are evil are totally and unquestionably evil. But that makes revenge so much more sweet.

I think Django Unchained is the type of film you need to enjoy for what it is – ultra violent, quite funny, very clever and with an awesome soundtrack. Like much of Tarantino’s work.

Robert Richardson has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Cinematography

Django Unchained has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture

Wylie Stateman has been nominated for an Oscar for Sound Editing and a BAFTA for Sound

Quentin Tarantino has been nominated for an Oscar for Writing (Original Screenplay), a Golden Globe for Best Director. He won the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay (Motion Picture). He was nominated for a BAFTA for Original Screenplay.

Django Unchained was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture (Drama)

Leonardo Dicaprio was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a  Motion Picture

Christopher Waltz won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture and was nominated for a BAFTA for Supporting Actor.

Fred Raskin has been nominated for a BAFTA for Editing