Quentin Tarantino has been a writer and director of some of the most notable films over the past third of a century, for which he's won two Oscars and nominated for six more.
In this author's opinion, he's one of the most talented people to make a mark on cinema during that time. Starting with Pulp Fiction, and most recently Once Upon a Time in ... in Hollywood, his scripts and direction have been spot-on and very unique.
Reservoir Dogs was raw and vicious and hard to watch for some, but it was also very clever in its character development and plot. It marked a very strong debut for a writer/director who would go on to a remarkable career.
Then there was Pulp Fiction, which was hailed as one of the best movies of 1994. Which it was! The non-linear plot, the fantastic cast, the intricate script were all fantastic. I've watched it many times over the years and regard it as one of the best films of its type ever. Only thing is, what type of film is it, really?
Tarantion's Kill Bill movies were adored by many, just not by me. That doesn't mean they weren't well done, just that I'm not into martial arts flicks.
Then came Inglorious Bastards, a triumph for Tarantino, Pitt and a then-unknown Christoph Waltz (who won an Oscar for the role). Extremely well written and directed, and notable for how they altered history by having Hitler gunned down in a movie theater lobby.
The Hateful Eight is, sad to say, the one Tarantino movie I still haven't seen. I'll get to it, I promise!
That brings us to Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood. Upon multiple viewings, I now think this is my favorite Tarantino flick yet. Why? Several reasons. It's a great script, has wonderful performances from some of the most talented people in movies, and its production design is first rate. But also consider the small and intimate scenes that reverberate big-time. The scene with Leonardo DiCaprio and Julia Butters is amazing, as well as the bit with Brad Pitt and Margaret Qualley. And as with Inglorious Basterds, Tarantino subverts history by altering it when the heroes from the movie prevent the Manson Family murders by slaughtering the Manson freaks themselves.
Overall, I consider Quentin Tarantino one of my favorite filmmakers of all time.
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