Movie Review: ‘Megalopolis’ | Moviephone
‘Megalopolis’, the long-awaited new film from legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola (‘The Godfather’ and ‘Apocalypse Now’), finally opens in theaters on September 27th.
The film features an all-star cast including Adam Driver (‘Ferrari’), Giancarlo Esposito (‘The Mandalorian’), Nathalie Emmanuel (‘The Killer’), Aubrey Plaza (‘Emily the Criminal’), Shia LaBeouf (‘ Honey Boy’), Talia Shire (‘Rocky’), Jason Schwartzman (‘Asteroid City’), Grace VanderWaal (‘Stargirl’), Chloe Fineman (‘Saturday Night Live’), Laurence Fishburne (‘Slingshot’), and Academy Award winners Jon Voight (‘Reagan’), and Dustin Hoffman (‘Wag the Dog’).
Related Article: Filmmakers Francis Ford Coppola and Adam Driver Discuss ‘Megalopolis’
Initial thoughts
‘Megalopolis’ is Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola’s first film in thirteen years and a project he has been developing since 1977. The result is an exhilarating and complex motion picture that pushes the boundaries of cinema while exploring class and fragility. the society
Anchored by a fantastic ensemble of actors including Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Laurence Fishburne and Aubrey Plaza, Coppola experiments with story, visual effects and even live-theatrical elements. However, this movie is not for everyone, and will have its fair share of critics due to its experimental nature and somewhat confusing script. But if you ignore that, and just go for the wild cinematic ride that Coppola created, you’ll be amazed by the director’s latest masterpiece.
Story and direction
Combining Catilinarian intrigue with modern-day New York, ‘Megalopolis’ is set in a decaying metropolis called New Rome. An idealistic architect named Caesar Catiline (Adam Driver), who has the power to manipulate space and time, seeks to destroy and rebuild the city into a sustainable utopia using a new material called “megalon.” Standing in his way is Franklin Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), New Rome’s mayor committed to a regressive status quo.
Things get complicated for Cesar when he falls in love with Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor’s daughter. Also, lurking in the shadows is Caesar’s cousin, Claudio (Shia LaBeouf), who, along with his uncle Hamilton Crassus III (Jon Voight) and his new wife, former TV journalist Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza), are plotting to destroy Caesar and create his new utopia. .
Dense and complex, Coppola’s screenplay explores class warfare and how easily societies can fail. Mixing Roman mythology with what at times feels like a Shakespearean script, (the driver even recites the “To be, or not to be” speech from ‘Hamlet’ at one point), the story can feel confusing at times, but if that bothers you, Then I think you’re missing the point of Coppola’s film. And given how much of the script and story the actors found on set through improvisation, focusing on the screenplay’s flaws is, once again, missing the point of the movie entirely.
Arguably one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema after making ‘The Godfather’, ‘The Godfather II’, and ‘Apocalypse Now’, just to name a few, the true joy is watching the master filmmaker experiment in ‘Megalopolis’. Create something unexpected and quite beautiful with the medium and in your own way. Coppola is not only experimenting with the themes of the movie, but he is also experimenting with filmmaking techniques that he has not used before such as digital cameras, digital effects and an interesting live-theatrical stunt, which I have never seen before. Movie theaters, but more on that below.
Live theater experience
Towards the end of the second act, there is a moment when Caesar in Driver is attending a press conference. Just then, the theater lights come on and a person from the audience (obviously a plant) walks up to a microphone near the screen. Then, in character, the “actors” on-screen ask Caesar a question as if they were reporters on the scene themselves. At least at my screening, the timing worked perfectly and Cesare seemed to respond to audience members.
It’s obviously a made-up stunt, but I absolutely loved that Coppola decided to experiment this way, and that’s when (flaws and all) I really fell for this film. It’s a bold move, and I wish more filmmakers would take the risk of doing it. I’m not saying every movie should have a live element, but I’d like to see more filmmakers play with the medium and experiment with techniques outside the norm.
A misunderstood masterpiece?
With the media apparently wanting to see Coppola fail after rumors of production problems, not to mention the experimental nature of the movie, reviews at the film’s Cannes premiere were mixed at best. But don’t listen to them, or even to me, watch the movie for yourself and make up your own mind! However, I would recommend watching the film in IMAX, as it adds to Coppola’s vision and the overall experience of the film.
While it’s unfair to compare ‘Megalopolis’ to Coppola’s past work, it’s important to remember (as the fake quotes in the film’s first trailer indicate), ‘Apocalypse Now’, ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ and yes, even ‘The Godfather’, upon release. It received some mixed reviews and is definitely considered a cinematic classic. This may or may not ultimately happen with ”Megalopolis”, but it is certainly a bold and intriguing film, in stark contrast to the standard sequels and superhero films that litter our local cinema.
the cast
While the real star of ”Megalopolis” in my opinion is Francis Ford Coppola, he has assembled a fantastic cast of young and old actors, and the film is definitely anchored by Adam Driver’s strong performance. Driver embodies the character with an intelligence and detachment that only the former Kylo Ren actor can deliver.
Veteran actor Giancarlo Esposito has finally become a household name thanks to his massive television work on hit shows like ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘The Boys’. This is Esposito’s first lead role in a film after his recent success, and when he plays the antagonist again, the actor does very well.
While purposefully over-the-top at times, Shia LaBeouf gives a commanding performance as the menacing Claudio, and Oscar winner Jon Voight Hamilton is at his peak for the year as Crassus III. Also great in her role is Aubrey Plaza, perfectly cast with Barbara Walters as a Megyn Kelly type journalist more concerned with rising above society than reporting the truth. Other strong supporting performances come from Laurence Fishburne (the film’s narrator) and Grace VanderWaal as a Taylor Swift type entertainer.
However, director John Woo’s remake of ‘The Killer’ comes through with a fine performance from Nathalie Emmanuel, who is adequate as Julia, but has a hard time overshadowing the other heavyweights in the cast. Talia Shire (Coppola’s sister), Jason Schwartzman (Shire’s son and Coppola’s nephew), ‘Saturday Night Live’s Chloe Fineman and Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman are all welcome to the cast, but unfortunately not enough of them.
final thought
In the end, you may or may not like ‘Megalopolis’, but it’s worth seeing in a theater, if nothing else, to experience the theatrical experience of a lifetime from one of the greatest directors of all time.
‘Megalopolis’ gets 9 out of 10 stars.
“If you can’t see a better future, create one.”
Showtimes and tickets
Genius artist Caesar Catiline wants to lead the city of New Rome to a utopian, idealistic future, while his antagonist, Mayor Franklin Cicero, is committed to… Read Plot
What is the plot of ‘Megalopolis’?
In a decaying metropolis called New Rome, Caesar Catiline (Adam Driver) is an idealistic architect who has been granted a license by the federal government to demolish and rebuild the city as a sustainable utopia using a new material, “megalon”, which he can afford. Ability to control space and time. His nemesis, Mayor Franklin Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), is committed to a regressive status quo. Franklin’s socialite daughter and Caesar’s love interest is Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), who, tired of inherited influence, searches for meaning in her life.
Who is in the cast of ‘Megalopolis’?
- Adam Driver as Caesar Catiline
- Giancarlo Esposito as Mayor Franklin Cicero
- Nathalie Emmanuel as Julia Cicero
- Shia LaBeouf as Claudio Pulcher
- Jon Voight as Hamilton Crassus III
- Laurence Fishburne as Fundy Romaine
- Talia Shire as Constance Crassus Catiline
- Jason Schwartzman as Jason Zanderz
- Catherine Hunter as Teresa Cicero
- Grace VanderWaal as Vesta Sweetwater
- Chloe Fineman as Claudia Pulcher
- James Reimer as Charles Kothope
- DB Sweeney as Commissioner Stanley Hart
- Balthazar Getty as Aram Kazanjian
- Dustin Hoffman as Nush Berman