Quentin Tarantino’s latest movie Once Upon A Time in Hollywood one of his greatest

The grip Once Upon A Time in Hollywood has on its audience is not to be underestimated — the chemistry between DiCaprio and Pitt is irresistible, the snap, crackle and pop of Tarantino’s dialogue is an addictive delight and Robbie is a poignant presence.

Attention all fans of the one and only Quentin Tarantino: the wait is over, and the weight has been lifted.

Just when you thought this once highly influential maverick filmmaker had already peaked and was now coming down the other side of the mountain, the captivating Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood turns everything around. Impactingly. Impressively.

Long story short: QT’s latest will come to be regarded as one of his greatest.

The movie unfolds across the closing years of the 1960s, an era where Hollywood’s bright, sunshiny golden age is coming to an end, and dark clouds of change are starting to form in the far distance.

In show business terms, where it used to be all about the show in Hollywood, soon it will be all about the business.

The on-screen chemistry between Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio is simply irresistible.

Emblematic of this seismic shift beginning to rumble away underfoot on every studio soundstage and backlot across Los Angeles is Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio).

He used to be one of the busier TV stars in town. Did more than a few movies in his time as well. But now the work is drying up.

Rick is at a career crossroads. He can either string together support roles and guest spots until he arrives at a guaranteed oblivion.

Or he can take a sharp turn towards Europe, where there’s a standing offer to be the lead in several spaghetti westerns. Rick has been around long enough to know that in this game, a second chance is also usually your last chance.

Nervy, needy and a bit too fond of the booze, Rick leans hard and often on the wise counsel of his longtime right-hand man, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt).

Cliff has already walked a mile in Rick’s shoes, and then some, having served as both his fearless stunt double and loyal best friend. If Rick’s career is going down the tubes, then so is Cliff’s.

Brad Pitt gives what might just be the finest performance of his career as Cliff Booth.

Something must be done. Together, they just might figure it out. Or they just might pour themselves a small drink and leave the big decisions to another day.

The first two-thirds of Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood might seem like little more than a rather random hangout movie. However, Rick and Cliff are such great company, you barely notice.

The screen chemistry between DiCaprio and Pitt is simply irresistible.

The world-weary warmth both exude while revelling in the snap, crackle and pop of Tarantino’s impeccably-written dialogue is just one of the many instantly addictive delights of the movie.

Pitt’s supremely relaxed, yet deceptively sharp portrayal of Cliff just might be the finest performance of his career.

Two electrifying scenes in particular bear this out — the first is where Cliff takes on martial arts legend Bruce Lee in an impromptu one-on-one smackdown; the second is where Cliff unwittingly happens upon the eerie abandoned ranch that is home to the notorious Charles Manson and his sinister entourage.

Leonardo DiCaprio performs with a world-weary warmth.

Speaking of the Manson ‘Family,’ it is no spoiler to reveal they will have a telling part to play in the frenetic extended night-time sequence which brings Once Upon a Time in Hollywood to a close.

Suddenly, all of those random elements littered across the movie’s earlier stretches come together to reveal Tarantino’s ultimate grand design for this sprawling story.

Rick’s next-door neighbour up in the Hollywood Hills is rising starlet Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie). Though she does not cross paths with Rick or Cliff for the length of the film, her continual presence in a series of scenes sprinkled across the screenplay is a powerfully poignant presence throughout.

While many viewers will already know how Tate’s destiny is chillingly fused with that of the Manson clan, there is nothing seedily exploitative about either party’s prominence in the movie.

For a work that spans just over two and a half hours of screen time, Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood pulls off the rare feat of leaving an audience wanting more.

Margot Robbie is a powerfully poignant presence.

Or at the very least, wanting to take the whole time-capsuled trip all over again ASAP.

Of course, Tarantino’s utterly unique combination of macro-bravado and micromanagement is the key that unlocks all of the greatness within Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

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However, longtime fans of QT will notice the subtle progression of his filmmaking here.

Whereas Tarantino once stopped at nothing to zap the viewer wherever possible, now he is all about increasing the voltage in stealthy increments.

Therefore the powerful grip this movie has on the senses is not to be underestimated, nor is any chance of breaking free possible.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (MA15+)

Director: Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction)

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino.

Rating: ****1/2

No fairytale, but one to keep watching happily ever after