Megalopolis (2024) Movie Review

Francis Ford Coppola is known for making some sweeping epic films. And after about 30 years of rewrites, he's finally bringing his utopian vision, Megalopolis, to the screen. So is it worth it? The city of New Rome is the main conflict between Caesar Catalina, a brilliant artist in favor of a utopian future, and the greedy mayor, Franklin Cicero. Between them is Julia Cicero, her loyalty divided between her father and her beloved. At the screening I was at for this, I was lucky enough to see an interview with Coppola for the New York Film Festival, where he discussed the story, his process, and why he even wanted to create a movie like this. Now, Coppola believes in people, and he wants there to be this conversation, putting his faith in the masses that together, when communicating and looking for a common solution, we can work through any issue to better the world. And that utopian outlook, that's exactly what's at play within this story. Now, New York is reimagined as New Rome. And thanks to history, we know that Rome fell thanks in part to political corruption, loss of values, and then introduction of different morals, and then over-expansion. Now in the film, we're shown a city that looks very much like many cities we have seen on the news, or maybe even live in, at least in the United States. But a growing houseless population, corporate greed driving up prices, and a growing divide between the rich and everybody else. I mean, it's power, and those in power being corrupted by their status. Megalopolis is a visual spectacle. If you've seen any of the trailers, or even still images, there is a wonderful dichotomy that's created by showcasing a glowing, ethereal cityscape that's also marred by darkness and need. It reminded me a bit of Dev Patel's Monkey Man, where we're shown this bustling and bright city, and then on the outskirts, in glaring contrast, is a shantytown, where people sleep on the cold ground, shoulder to shoulder, just crammed in tiny spaces. The same is in this film, except the shiny part is being placed somewhat right in the middle. We also get to see the city from above, providing a more sanitized vision thanks to the extreme height that's obscuring any filth below. Now it also creates this illusion that Adam Driver's character is sort of a god, peering down on the city that he hopes to improve through his creation. Now I appreciate how the aesthetics are visionary and dreamlike, mirroring the utopian outlook that Driver's character aspires to create. A few times the artificial backgrounds are noticeable, but other times they look organic, hiding the use of the green screen, which then makes it more immersive and enveloping. Now Adam Driver plays Caesar Catalina. He's the architect and the visionary who's attempting to build Megalopolis. And just like in many of his other performances, Driver commands the screen with the intensity of his eyes, and then that raspy crispness of his baritone voice. He also channels a lot of arthouse sensibilities by over-emoting through amplified body movements, turning some of his performance into more of an interpretive dance than mere blocking within a scene. And I don't mention this as a negative because his behaviors, they match what's needed for both the part and the storyline. We get to witness him become frantic, manic, and joyfully exuberant, each establishing some believability for his character. Now some plot points, especially surrounding the use of this material that Driver wants to implement to craft his utopia, they're vaguely defined. I mean, it's named and shown to some extent, but how it actually comes about is kind of a mystery, which then turns the visuals that we see into wishes and dreams rather than a building block for reality. Now, I do appreciate how his longing for a better world and then an inclusive conversation about the future is brought to life within this. I mean, it's the entire point of the film, as even stated by Coppola. As enigmatic as Driver's Catalina is, his desire for happiness and an environment where people can thrive, it does come through loud and clear. Now, some of his other musings, they're not always as coherent, just like how he goes about building this new utopia. But buried within strange behaviors, even more bizarre, visually assaulting montages, the core message, it's still maintained. Now, while Natalie Emmanuel as Julia Cicero isn't the ultimate Driver for the narrative, she's the heart of the story, bringing humanity to the cast, especially in softening her father, who's played by Giancarlo Esposito, and then she also creates a redemptive likability for Driver. While his charm is present at times, he's also a very damaged character, allowing Emmanuel to speak truth and wisdom to him, but also nurturing and care for him. She's a strong character and a formidable opponent for so many of the other power players. As a bleach blonde TV personality, Aubrey Plaza is channeling her Parks & Rec sub-character, Janet Snakehole, as she takes on this femme fatale role of Wow Platinum. Now, she's fun to watch and exaggerated in the right ways, just creating an intriguing but vapid character who motives and actions are really telegraphed way before they're revealed. There's not much to her outside of what we see, so although she is enjoyable on screen, she's also forgettable when she's not present. Shia LaBeouf starts out as enigmatic and creepy, and then dives into full hubristic madness while still being extremely creepy. And I'm not talking creepy as in scary, but as in keep him away from your children and animals sort of creepy. Now, the more he was on screen, the more he grew on me, but the character is written as a one-dimensional troglodyte. I kept wishing that he'd be given more depth. It didn't happen. Giancarlo Esposito is excellent as ever, showcasing both tenacity and vulnerability. He's a relatable father figure, willing to do just about anything for his daughter, regardless of personal expense. As Mayor Cicero, he's driven, fierce, a little sketchy, but also has a softer side, which he's constantly warring against. Now, Dustin Hoffman is on screen one moment, and then he just disappears, only through a very brief flashback to even learn why he's no longer in the story, and he just felt disjointed and almost like an afterthought, especially because the events, they're not developed or explained. And I'm not sure why he was even in the film. I mean, he's sort of a henchman or maybe confidant, but the only times we see him, he comes across more like Jabba's salacious crumb. Now, the story doesn't disguise the fact that it's critiquing society, especially American society. There are visual clues that, while not hugely overt, do portray certain ideologies as instigators. And it's art, mimicking truth in this sense. I appreciated the messaging and the commentary that's contained here, but it's not just preaching at us, saying that those people are bad, we're good. Instead, it's saying, hey, there are some massive issues that we're facing. Let's work together for the good of everybody and come up with a beneficial solution. Now here, that solution is fantastical. So it doesn't really offer any sort of solutions, but simply stating that things can be done through collaboration and conversation as a starting point. Many of Coppola's films are epically long, and this one is only two hours and 18 minutes, but it felt way longer than that. There are chunks of the narrative that seem to drag on. They come across as indulgent, choosing visual spectacle over substantive story. Now I don't mind some of that, but when it begins to harm the momentum and then adds elements to the tale that are unnecessary and time-consuming, I'd much rather have a more efficient presentation. Now there's a unique portion of this film, and I'm not sure if it's going to happen within every showing or just select ones, but at one point, when a key moment happens, the theater lights went up and Adam Driver's Catalina addresses an audience member who's acting as a reporter. This goes on for about a minute or so, and then the lights go black and the film continues. It's immersive, but it also broke me out of the story for a bit. The ingenuity of trying something different, I think it's great. I mean, I'm honestly just worried about the execution in theaters where they kind of struggle to even get the lights fully off once the film starts. Now I also have a nitpick, but it doesn't affect the enjoyment or dissatisfaction of the story. But the inconsistency, I thought it was strange. Now Lawrence Fishburne is a narrator and historian throughout the narrative, taking us through points of observation or reading the inscribed title cards that appear on the screen. Now I thought it was a nice touch and Fishburne's got such an amazing voice that it's more soothing than distracting. But there is one point when a title card comes up and Fishburne doesn't narrate it, I mean every other single time he reads what's on screen for us, except for this, just made no sense to me and it slightly bothered me, but again, it's only a nitpick and it doesn't actually add or detract from the storytelling at all. So overall, Megalopolis is a lofty and optimistic view of society, full of visual spectacle and a few engaging performances encompassed in a dreamlike utopian vision. While the messaging and commentary are clearly delivered, portions of the story are convoluted and drawn out, creating an uneven pace that makes the film longer than necessary. Nathalie Emmanuel brings softness and humanity to a story crowded with self-indulgent power seekers, showing that elegance and smarts are far more desirable and effective in shaping the actions of those who stand in opposition. I appreciate the dreamy and ethereal presentation, but it's not something that I'd want to sit through again. There is sex, nudity, a lot of profanity and some violence. I give Megalopolis three out of five couches. So what's a dreamlike or utopian movie that you enjoy? I'd love to hear some recommendations in the comments below. If you enjoyed this review, please give it a like. Also, don't forget to share and subscribe. I'm Chris. This is Movies and Munchies. Thanks for couching with me.