One of the problems that great directors run into as they start to acquire fame is that they become so popular that everyone around them becomes a "yes man" and won't refine the director's vision, edit them, and restrain some of their obsessive tendencies. Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood is Quentin Tarantino unrestrained. There's excess all over this thing, from the unnecessarily long run-time to the constant bare feet shoved in front of the screen. This doesn't mean that he is so unhinged that the movie as a whole is a disaster. On the contrary, there are still some great elements in this film, despite its tendency to ramble on to a nearly exhausting degree. First and foremost, the acting is stellar. Brad Piitt is his usual charming self, and makes this stunt double into someone every guy would love to have as a friend. Leonardo DiCaprio is perfect as the actor struggling with the inevitable shift in his career from leading man/hero to supporting role/villain.

As for how this movie handles the whole Manson family thing, I thought that was fine. It might have been more impactful to me if I was more knowledgeable about the history related to them, but I knew enough to appreciate this film and how it handled the historic tragedy. I genuinely loved the big climactic scene, and it's not just because this was the most interesting part of the film (since something of note was happening.) It has this cathartic wish-fulfillment quality that you don't see many other film-makers attempt. I only wish it felt more like the satisfying conclusion to a story, but there was so little structure to Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood. The entire thing felt like a series of small vignettes featuring a number of loosely-connected people, and then they all come together in the end for a big finish. It's one of those movies where I simply felt like things were happening rather than a story was being told, which is a pet peeve of mine. Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood is definitely lower-tier Tarantino for me, even though it will be a favorite to others.