This 3-hour epic traces the lives and careers of 3 people during the heyday of 20s and 30s Hollywood. Brad Pitt plays a leading man with confidence and restrained flair, Margo Robbie goes wild as a woman who’s dying to be a star and Diego Calva’s quiet determination remains the constant when the others careen out of control. Whereas Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (my review) was his dark, sometimes violent ode to LA, writer/director Damien Chazelle has opted for a musical love letter with a side of decadence. There are wild parties, movie magic moments and personal tragedies all presented in a furious fashion. Although the narrative sprawls at times and most of the plot is predictable, Chazelle’s unbridled passion for motion pictures is demonstrated in his masterful staging and glorious excess (although that closing montage got weird before it ended). 
(4 / 5)
