As a film critic with over three decades of experience under my belt, I have seen the good, the bad, and the downright bizarre in cinema. But none have left me quite as bewildered and exasperated as Francis Ford Coppola’s latest opus, Megalopolis.
In the opening scene of Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece, The Godfather, he plunges viewers directly into the story with the simple statement “I believe in America.” This sets a tense and powerful tone, hinting at Don Corleone’s influence and the connection between his world and America. In an extended wide shot, Coppola begins his 1974 feature by showcasing people walking through a park. This prolonged image underscores the film’s focus on observation and mirrors the style of shooting seen in The Conversation. By capturing audiences’ attention with these early works, Coppola skillfully prepares viewers for an unconventional cinematic journey.
The movie, titled “Megalopolis,” fails to create an engaging atmosphere at the beginning, instead appearing clumsy and recalling unflattering pop culture references. A prolonged shot of massive text etched onto Roman architecture being read aloud by Laurence Fishburne feels reminiscent of criticisms against the opening voice-over narration in Uwe Boll’s “Alone in the Dark.” Rapidly moving clouds that chase Adam Driver in a subsequent scene seem to have been borrowed from an older version of “Epic Rap Battles of History” videos.
From the very beginning, it’s evident that Megalopolis isn’t trying to hide its nature – it’s clear from the outset that we’re in for a lengthy and laborious project. Don’t expect a cinematic masterpiece like “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” or “Apocalypse Now”. Instead, what we get is a film reminiscent of a Neil Breen movie, directed by Doug Walker.
The story revolves around the wealthy architect Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), who envisions a new version of New York City in the American Republic called “New Rome”. With the innovative material Megalon, Catilina intends to construct Megalopolis, an ideal city that he alone has imagined. However, Catilina is met with disdain from those in powerful positions, including Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), his cousin Clodio Pulcher (Shia LaBeouf), and his envious TV personality girlfriend Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza). Yet, the mayor’s daughter, Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), starts to develop feelings for Catilina.
This man, whom she sees as full of limitless possibilities and capable of halting time itself, has a grand plan for building a city in the future that Catilina is passionate about. As their relationship deepens, obstacles seem to gather, aiming to thwart Catilina’s dream of Megalopolis. Meanwhile, Hamilton Crassus III (played by Jon Voight) is trying to win over Wow Platinum, while Fundi Romaine, the protagonist’s chauffeur, provides ongoing commentary on the events unfolding.
As a devoted fan, I must confess that in “Megalopolis,” something has certainly gone amiss. What’s peculiar about its shortcomings, though, is Mr. Coppola’s seeming reluctance to fully embrace more avant-garde methods of storytelling. Since the release of “The Rainmaker” in 1997, this filmmaker has found a creative home within the realm of experimental indie cinema. Films such as “Twixt” or “Youth Without Youth” are undeniably offbeat, shunning conventional narrative movie tropes. One might expect “Megalopolis” to boldly venture into the territory of Věra Chytilová or Dziga Vertov, but alas, it seems not to be the case.
Regarding this matter, Megalopolis can be seen as lacking dynamism. Coppola adheres strictly to a sequential storyline with minimal deviations into abstract visuals. A striking adherence to conventional cinematic rules is prevalent throughout the film. For example, Catilina’s deceased wife is depicted in pristine white lace attire on an immaculate bed bathed in golden light. She resembles every deceased wife in contemporary blockbusters. The peak of sexual indulgence is merely women exchanging kisses at a club. Clichéd visuals of colossal statues crumbling in despair seem reminiscent of a Stan Kelly political cartoon. A simmering disdain for young female pop stars mirrors other works from middle-aged and older men, such as Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up. New Rome itself is an uninteresting, uninvolving landscape that recalls other more successful blends of the past and present, like Gotham City from Batman: The Animated Series.
The film “Megalopolis” presents a disheartening visual landscape from the start, with an overpowering yellow tone and an overall color scheme that’s far from appealing or dynamic. Unfortunately, it falls short of being innovative cinema, and its visual narrative is downright dreadful. The direction by Coppola and cinematographer Mihai Mălaimare Jr. results in awkward framing, with a shooting style that emphasizes the infrequency of big-name actors sharing the screen together, creating an empty feel rather than evocative imagery. Characters are often arranged in ways that showcase actor schedules over artistic vision. The movie is filled with strange, isolated shots, and wider frames are conspicuously absent. In contrast to its supposed epic status, “Megalopolis” frequently resembles poorly shot New York B-movies due to its constricted cinematography. Additionally, the editing by Cam McLauchlin and Glen Scantlebury often appears clumsy, exacerbating these issues with a lack of cohesive rhythm between shots and cuts occurring at random intervals. The end result is amateurish rather than uniquely exciting.
Instead of focusing on creating vivid and imaginative visuals, the film Megalopolis is more interested in straightforwardly portraying lengthy, dramatic dialogue between characters. “Show, don’t tell” is a piece of advice that the director should have heeded! The endless conversations among these characters offer an on-screen representation of what it feels like when a man at a party won’t stop talking about his philosophical ideas. Despite its lofty thematic aspirations, Megalopolis often has people explicitly stating their emotions or motivations out loud. This sometimes results in comical lines that could make Tommy Wiseau blush, such as Julia’s comment about “Ceasar would never say no to a child!”. Generally, it’s just tedious to watch.
In simpler terms, “Megalopolis” offers audiences repetitive visuals and dialogue that can be quite tedious. Furthermore, Coppola’s script seems lacking in depth when it comes to political commentary. For instance, early on, Cicero references Ronald Reagan’s “shining city on a hill,” only for Catilina to criticize him shortly afterward for promoting ideals people can’t afford and imitating those they despise. This suggests a divide between conservative and utopian views. However, Coppola avoids delving into any contentious subjects that might give New Rome a clear identity (such as capitalism, racism, or environmental concerns). The film hints at global problems and the need for change, but it shies away from exploring specific issues that would make New Rome more relatable.
In a simpler, more conversational way,
In the world portrayed in ‘Megalopolis’, political ideas span from bewildering to alarming. The majority of non-white immigrants are portrayed as a violent mob obeying a character similar to Trump, Clodio Pulcher. Wealthy white men such as Catilina and Crassus III are revered figures society looks up to for solutions. A somewhat eye-rolling subplot involves Catilina being falsely accused of sexual misconduct against teen pop star Vesta Sweetwater (Grace VanderWaal). Similarly, Coppola’s ‘The Conversation’, released in 1974, depicted the pervasive fear experienced by working-class individuals during a tumultuous time in American history. Half a century later, ‘Megalopolis’ offers a perspective from affluent white men, whose main focus is validating the humanity of the upper class. This film’s complexity and emotional detachment are not surprising reasons it might be hard to connect with.
In numerous imaginable ways, the film titled Megalopolis falls short, yet it offers an unexpectedly amusing moment. This movie showcases some truly outstanding actors delivering performances that are among their very worst career-wise. If you’re intrigued by the idea of witnessing a film as bizarre as an aged Freddie Mercury performing Brad Paisley’s “Ticks” in a Denny’s parking lot, then this is the movie for you. Dustin Hoffman seems to be reading from cue cards awkwardly during his limited screen time. Jon Voight portrays a character who appears to have been woken up abruptly, giving an unclear performance. Nathalie Emmanuel, either due to poor direction or the dialogues she’s given, delivers lines that are among the worst of 2024. Some of her deliveries have strange inflections that aren’t distinct enough to become intriguingly unique; instead, they are simply peculiar quirks trying to add character to a woman with a bland script.
In simpler terms, Adam Driver seems to struggle with being seen as serious outside of his role in “Marriage Story,” especially when he yells. His loud outbursts are reminiscent of Steve Carell’s comedic performances and don’t work well for straight drama. Among the cast, Aubrey Plaza stands out with her energetic portrayal of a wicked TV presenter. A scene featuring her and Clodio Pulcher having sex while plotting to gain power is the best part of “Megalopolis” (and not just because both characters are finally in a scene together). Unfortunately, the rest of the movie is tedious compared to that sequence or Plaza’s performance.
Having said all that, it’s worth noting Megalopolis has already garnered its share of fans. Esteemed folks like Vera Drew, Courtney Fairhurst Howard, and Drew Burnett Gregory has already expressed adoration for this ambitious feature. Much like I absolutely love critically divisive epics like Babylon, Southland Tales, and Cloud Atlas, Megalopolis might just be your new favorite movie in the waiting. Something this distinctly crafted is bound to inspire vivid responses from people. Unfortunately, for me, Coppola’s return to big narrative features just inspired groans and a constant yearning to bolt out of my IMAX screening. In terms of 2024 independent cinema challenging major studio filmmaking norms, the infinitely cheaper and more entertaining Hundreds of Beavers does circles around Megalopolis.
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2024-10-03 04:45