The week before last, we wrapped up the Lollywood Eid releases. Last week, we managed to squeeze in a local offering that had faded to the background in the glitz of the troika that came out amidst Eid festivities.
During all this time, one Hollywood film has managed to rule the roost throughout multiplexes across Pakistan. It is not often that a Hollywood film, especially one that doesn’t belong to the superhero genre, is screened for such a duration in the country. It’s a further recognition of the popularity of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood that it has stayed strong before and after the Eid releases.
Even though the current Bollywood ban is an offshoot of the Indo-Pak political turmoil, over the past couple of years the release of Indian films was delayed to ensure that Lollywood movies could generate the most revenue on Eid. In that context, screening Once Upon a Time in Hollywood alongside the local films might not have been the greatest of ideas!
For, Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has been making waves in the country for over two months since its release, and the juggernaut doesn’t seem like it will be halted any time soon.
While Tarantino has his own cult following in Pakistan, like the rest of the world, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are two names anyone remotely interested in cinema would be familiar with. Then there is Al Pacino, a superstar admired across generations, who has more than just a cameo in the film.
Together they make a film that might not be as celebrated by the purists or the staunch critics of the Tarantino brand, but one that will fascinate the casual film-goer in Pakistan – especially with its depiction of the time period and its hat-tip to the Old West.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is set in a weekend of February 1969, where we are introduced to the two leads Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and Cliff Booth (Pitt). Dalton is a TV actor and Booth, his best friend, is a longtime stuntman for him.
Dalton, the hero of a Western show Bounty Law is encouraged by casting agent Marvin Schwarzs (Al Pacino) to go to Italy to reboot his career, just as he is getting increasingly concerned about his growing age and what the future might hold for him in the industry. Unfortunately, we are yet to see Meera Jee accuse Tarantino of lifting the plot of her film Baaji!
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s lead characters and their stories are based on pure fiction, but some of the characters depict real personalities. Mike Moh, for instance, plays Bruce Lee, but the list doesn’t stop at him. You’ll also find the likes of Steve McQueen (Damian Lewis) and James Stacy (Timothy Olyphant).
The film revolves around the “Hollywood life” of the 1960s and its star-studded parties. The detailing of the film is absolutely breathtaking, with scores of shots showcasing Booth driving around Dalton, with stellar production design punctuated by classic cars. The radio music will take you along in a parallel journey as well.
The film is a masterful blend of fine-tunes, which maintains the absolutely realistic dreamland that it envisions – for which Tarantino and cinematographer Robert Richardson deserve all the plaudits. The music, again, is top-drawer and adds its own layer to the narrative.
Fans who venerate Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds might not really get the feel of those classics here, given that there is tangible evolution in Tarantino’s work. However, the political critics of Tarantino and his cult’s affiliation with hyper-masculinity will find more than sufficient material to critique.
DiCaprio is undoubtedly the star of the film, with Pitt playing his part with sufficient expertise as well. The way their characters are set over the first three-quarters of the film set up the finale that the storyline is converging on.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is Tarantino’s ode to Hollywood, and indeed to the Old West. As always his work will have its eulogizers and detractors, but what is unquestionable is that the film should be absolutely mandatory for budding Pakistani filmmakers. One can disagree with the narrative or the screenplay, but one can’t question the mastery of Tarantino’s filmmaking.
During all this time, one Hollywood film has managed to rule the roost throughout multiplexes across Pakistan. It is not often that a Hollywood film, especially one that doesn’t belong to the superhero genre, is screened for such a duration in the country. It’s a further recognition of the popularity of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood that it has stayed strong before and after the Eid releases.
Even though the current Bollywood ban is an offshoot of the Indo-Pak political turmoil, over the past couple of years the release of Indian films was delayed to ensure that Lollywood movies could generate the most revenue on Eid. In that context, screening Once Upon a Time in Hollywood alongside the local films might not have been the greatest of ideas!
For, Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has been making waves in the country for over two months since its release, and the juggernaut doesn’t seem like it will be halted any time soon.
While Tarantino has his own cult following in Pakistan, like the rest of the world, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are two names anyone remotely interested in cinema would be familiar with. Then there is Al Pacino, a superstar admired across generations, who has more than just a cameo in the film.
Together they make a film that might not be as celebrated by the purists or the staunch critics of the Tarantino brand, but one that will fascinate the casual film-goer in Pakistan – especially with its depiction of the time period and its hat-tip to the Old West.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is set in a weekend of February 1969, where we are introduced to the two leads Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and Cliff Booth (Pitt). Dalton is a TV actor and Booth, his best friend, is a longtime stuntman for him.
Dalton, the hero of a Western show Bounty Law is encouraged by casting agent Marvin Schwarzs (Al Pacino) to go to Italy to reboot his career, just as he is getting increasingly concerned about his growing age and what the future might hold for him in the industry. Unfortunately, we are yet to see Meera Jee accuse Tarantino of lifting the plot of her film Baaji!
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s lead characters and their stories are based on pure fiction, but some of the characters depict real personalities. Mike Moh, for instance, plays Bruce Lee, but the list doesn’t stop at him. You’ll also find the likes of Steve McQueen (Damian Lewis) and James Stacy (Timothy Olyphant).
The film revolves around the “Hollywood life” of the 1960s and its star-studded parties. The detailing of the film is absolutely breathtaking, with scores of shots showcasing Booth driving around Dalton, with stellar production design punctuated by classic cars. The radio music will take you along in a parallel journey as well.
The film is a masterful blend of fine-tunes, which maintains the absolutely realistic dreamland that it envisions – for which Tarantino and cinematographer Robert Richardson deserve all the plaudits. The music, again, is top-drawer and adds its own layer to the narrative.
Fans who venerate Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds might not really get the feel of those classics here, given that there is tangible evolution in Tarantino’s work. However, the political critics of Tarantino and his cult’s affiliation with hyper-masculinity will find more than sufficient material to critique.
DiCaprio is undoubtedly the star of the film, with Pitt playing his part with sufficient expertise as well. The way their characters are set over the first three-quarters of the film set up the finale that the storyline is converging on.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is Tarantino’s ode to Hollywood, and indeed to the Old West. As always his work will have its eulogizers and detractors, but what is unquestionable is that the film should be absolutely mandatory for budding Pakistani filmmakers. One can disagree with the narrative or the screenplay, but one can’t question the mastery of Tarantino’s filmmaking.