I saw the movie a few days ago, but haven't commented for some reason. I used to see almost a movie a week, but since having three kids and other life changes it's more rare now. But I will get out to see any movie by Tarantino, the Coen brothers, or Paul Thomas Anderson. I realize I am shortchanging some other great directors, but that's where I am at now.
I liked the movie, as with every Tarantino it's just highly watchable. Sounds dumb as I say or type that, but just really like staring at the screen for almost any of his movies. Ranking Tarantino movies is weird - covering a quarter plus century so I've seen each at different stages of my life, and initial viewing impressions can depend on what is going on in your life at that moment, so it's all loaded with so many influences unless you watch them all again now - which I haven't done. But for OUATIH, I felt it was carried more by the performances than the material I liked the movie no question, could have gone 4 hours and I'd have been fine, but I feel Leo and Pitt really made this movie for me - great performances. I don't personally feel it as rewatchable as some other Tarantino films - but that opinion could change upon rewatchings.
I havent seen Pulp Fiction start to finish but once I think - and that is weird. Caught snippets a lot but can't recall watching the whole thing since the theater. In contrast, seen Reservoir Dogs 3 or 4 times despite not having seen that one in a theater. Currently I feel Inglorious Basterds is my favorite because I just feel I can watch the whole thing, or any part of it, at any time. I feel that way for Reservoir Dogs and, surprisingly, the Hateful 8 as well. I can just drop it any any point of the movie and enjoy what I am seeing at any time. Jackie Brown is a full movie, I feel you need to watch that one start to finish to fully appreciate - and it's the most classic and complete story as far as character fleshing out and relationships. Id put OUATIH before Django for me though.
I don't think Tarantino is glorifying everything about America in that era, so I don't get that political angle, but he's clearly nostalgic about that era of Hollywood. Even the cheesiness and studio formulaicity of it all is celebrated, I don't think you have to think "that is the most noblest time" to celebrate/enjoy/ironically worship an era. So Pacino's character, the way careers are managed - it's all enjoyed on some level by Tarantino.
I think Dicaprio really did a great job with the character, really did a great job in the scenes where he is acting as the character he is playing.
I thought Pitt was almost a Pitt caricature yet somehow that just works - he's just that cool on screen. His character was really the heart of the movie I think - despite the odd but funny side bit about killing his wife and getting away with it. I thought the short clip of him on the boat with a *****ing wife, holding some type of weapon, was hilarious in an odd way.
The Manson family is there to represent the killers of an era - an era of naivete and boorish behavior - but an evil end. To Tarantino they didn't kill just Tate and the housemates but the Hollywood as it was then. The scene at the ranch where Pitt visits a great Bruce Dern was meant to be tense, but it just paled in comparison to say, The Basterds basement scene to me. Enjoyable, watchable, but just won't imprint on my brain in the same way.
I really liked the movie, there's no Tarantino material that feels cheap or trite, but it's not in my top 4 Tarantino films (those he directed).
