Movie Monday: ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD

I can't think of another movie this year that my family and I have talked about more than ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD. And you know, I am not one for violent anything, so Quentin Tarantino films aren't typically my thing.

But. Violence or no, Tarantino is quite a storyteller.

And this story... well, it's historical fiction, set in 1969 Hollywood. It features fabulous performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. I completely related to the young actress played by Margot Robbie -- her delight upon seeing her name on a marquis, how she had to tell the ticket taker she was in the movie, and how much she enjoyed being a witness to moviegoers' reactions to her performance. (Like walking into a bookstore and finding one's book... or hearing from readers... or visiting a classroom.)

There were so many beautiful things about this movie -- the music, the visuals, the sounds... this is like a love poem to old Hollywood. One of my favorites was the almost-dark shots where Hollywood businesses were turning on their neon signs. You could hear the click and buzz... and those old signs are stunning. There are actually quite a lot of moments like that in the movie.

And while it is a long movie (161 minutes), it didn't feel long. I totally wanted to see how the story ended. And THEN, I had to close my eyes through the final (violent!) scenes. But I still think this movie deserves Oscar consideration... lots to enjoy, and kind of a throwback to real, classic movies. And did I mention we're still talking about it? Yep.