Earlier this week at Cannes Film Festival, Quentin Tarantino received backlash for refusing to answer a female journalist's question about Margot Robbie's lack of lines in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. When pressed by a film critic as to why Margot - playing Sharon Tate - had little to say in the film, he simply responded, 'I reject your hypothesis.'
Thankfully, Margot handled the situation with grace, explaining why she thought her character had little dialogue. ‘I think the moments I was on screen gave a moment to honour Sharon,' she replied. 'I think the tragedy was the loss of innocence. To show the wonderful sides of her could be done without speaking. I did feel like I got a lot of time to explore the character without dialogue, which is an interesting thing. Rarely do I get an opportunity to spend so much time on my own as a character.’
But, despite Margot's lack of dialogue, the film has still won rave reviews - with the audience giving it an impressive (if not OTT) seven minute standing ovation. New York Times critic Manohla Dargis called the film 'a love letter' and praised the Pulp Fiction director for doing something unexpected. 'Tarantino's love for over-the-top gore, for painting the screen red, seemed a bad fit with the ghastly 1969 murders of several people, including the actress Sharon Tate, then married to Roman Polanski,' she wrote. 'What was entirely unexpected was that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood would be such a moving film, at once a love letter — and a dream — of the Hollywood that was.' Meanwhile, Vulturecritic Bilge Ebiri said, 'He and his actors lend the two characters' respective moments — one rising, the other falling — just the right blend of mockery and pathos. These people are ridiculous, and we love them. It's the most fun the director seems to have had in years, but it's also, oddly, his most compassionate picture in more than a decade.'
The film - which has been written and directed by Quentin Tarantino - features Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, starring as Rick Dalton (Leo) and Cliff Booth (Brad), a washed-up actor and his long-time stunt double. The pair live next to Sharon Tate - played by Margot Robbie- who is murdered by cult leader Charles Manson while she is pregnant.
Tarantinois said to have been working on the A-list project for years, with it being inspired by LA’s hippie-crazed subculture. 'I’ve been working on this script for five years, as well as living in Los Angeles County most of my life, including in 1969, when I was seven years old,' the director said. 'I’m very excited to tell this story of an L.A. and a Hollywood that doesn’t exist anymore.' It will be his ninth film, following the likes of Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained.
Other cast members include the late Luke Perry, Damian Lewis, Dakota Fanning, and Bruce Dern.
The film is set to be released in the UK on August 9.
Watch the trailer below.
Is the trailer out for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood?
Yes. The giltzy preview was released on March 21.
Who is going to be starring in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood?
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, appearing as Rick Dalton (Leo) and Cliff Booth (Brad), a washed-up actor and his long-time stunt double. Margot Robbie also stars as Sharon Tate. Other cast members include the late Luke Perry, Damian Lewis, Dakota Fanning, and Bruce Dern.
When is Once Upon A Time In Hollywood going to be released?
The film is set to be released in the UK on August 9. The film premiered at Cannes Film Festival, where Tarantino won the Palme d’Or exactly 25 years ago for Pulp Fiction.
What is the plot for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood?
The film will not centre on the Manson murders, and is no means a biopic for the killer. Tarantino has said about the plot, 'The two lead characters are Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), former star of a Western TV series, and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Both are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognise anymore. But Rick has a very famous next-door neighbour … Sharon Tate.'