MovieChat Forums > Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019) Discussion > Very interesting movie

Very interesting movie

posted 5 years ago by jekporkins (1928)
8 replies | jump to latest

The dichotomy between Pitt and Leo's characters were great - one was living the life of a cowboy while the other pretended to. It also showed the tragedy of drying up in Hollywood and how a lucky break is all one needs to get to the top again (hi John Travolta). I thought Leo did an amazing job as always and his scenes, in particular, were so interesting as he struggled to maintain his composure and dignity as he struggles with his role as a has-been. I actually expected more from the Manson side, and yet I felt Tarantino did a great job skimming the top of that story without exploiting it. A very tension-built ending was the cherry on top for me. One of the more, well, interesting movie experiences I've had in a while. I really enjoyed this one.

[–] bobbydallas (8139) 5 years ago

I liked the interaction of Leo on-set with the other actors. He always looked like he was out of place and annoyed, yet, during shooting appeared to jive with all of them.

It's probably an indication that he really was meant to be bigger than TV, acting-wise.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (20596) 5 years ago

[–] Jes' Sayin' (6024) 4 years ago

[–] Mrmojo4700 (20596) 4 years ago

Damn cool story. I really like Eddie Albert.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (6024) 4 years ago

Yes! No slouch at acting either.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (20596) 4 years ago

The man was either a Higgins boat or Amtrak pilot during the invasion of Tarawa in 1943. That say a lot. 👍

[–] ecarle (14979) 4 years ago

The part where the young actress tells Rick his acting was the best she’s ever seen was amazing. It’s like he’s been around show businesses for so long and here comes this little girl, who he knows will someday be a star, and he puts more weight in her opinion than even the director. Loved it!

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One interesting aspect of how Rick "gets it together and delivers a magnificent performance"(if only in a TV Western pilot) is that while the little girl's praise really means something to him -- the fatuous, sometimes loving, sometimes yelling TV director(named Sam Wanamaker, who really WAS an actor director of the time)....is proved RIGHT: he told Rick that he hired him to get the great actor he knows that Rick can be. He wasn't just blowing smoke. He knew it, and he saw it. And...like the little girl actress...he praised it.

[–] ecarle (14979) 4 years ago

Reminded of a story about Errol Flynn, who late in life was acting in The Sun Also Rises. Also in the film was Eddie Albert, who after watching one of Flynn's scenes, told him, wow, you can really act! Flynn was said to have been touched.

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Which, in turn, reminds me of a story from the set of Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho"(1960.)

Anthony Perkins had the lead role(a possibly villainous one), and John Gavin was billed down the cast list as the film's hero. Hitchcock had not wanted John Gavin, but hired him when superagent Lew Wasserman insisted. Consequently, Gavin was largely ostracized and dismissed by Hitchcock throughout filming.

The time came for John Gavin and Anthony Perkins to act alone together, across a motel office desk, with Gavin bullying Perkins and Perkins trying to verbally fight back. Hitchcock eventually yelled "cut" on the scene, and the room was prepared for the next take.

During that time, Perkins -- an Oscar nominee for "Friendly Persuasion"(1956) looked across the motel desk at Gavin and said "You are really good in this scene."

Evidently, that meant more to Gavin than any other moment that he experienced on the "Psycho" set.