[NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER FREE.]
Francis Ford Coppola is, of course, the director of "Apocalypse Now," "The Godfather" trilogy, "The Conversation," and more. It seems silly to even introduce him. But he has finally released a passion project he's been trying to get made for about 40 years.
"Megalopolis," Coppola's first movie in eight years, isn't just a feast for the eyes, but a smorgasbord for the human mind. See what might be the master filmmaker's final work on the largest screen you can afford to--preferably of the silver variety. I'll get to why in a minute.
Road Blocks
Critics have been dogging "Megalopolis" for months, even before Coppola finished the principal filming on it. This was despite the standing ovation, reportedly 10 minutes long, at the Cannes Film Festival in May. As I wrote in August, the picture's bumpy road to its release was only made worse by an embarrassing fail--invented negative review quotes, possibly made by AI--featured in the film's marketing. But there were also more ominous troubles, including anonymous complaints to news outlets from (possibly) disgruntled crew members, implying that Coppola made it toxic on the set--and worse.
Read more: Trailer for Francis Ford Coppola's New Film Swiftly Pulled Offline--and It Might Be AI's Fault
I want to get that vicious slur against one of our greatest directors out of the way first, so apologies for the long quote below. It comes from the Guardian's report... a clear, unequivocal statement from Darren Demetre, who worked closely with Coppola to bring the new film to life:
Defending Coppola is Darren Demetre, the executive co-producer on “Megalopolis.” He told the publication that Coppola did kiss some extras on the cheek in a friendly manner and no one ever expressed to him that Coppola’s behavior made them uncomfortable.
He continued:
“I have known and worked with Francis and his family for over 35 years. As one of the first assistant directors and an executive producer on his new epic, ‘Megalopolis,’ I helped oversee and advise the production and ran the second unit. Francis successfully produced and directed an enormous independent film, making all the difficult decisions to ensure it was delivered on time and on budget, while remaining true to his creative vision."
There were two days when we shot a celebratory Studio 54-esque club scene where Francis walked around the set to establish the spirit of the scene by giving kind hugs and kisses on the cheek to the cast and background players. It was his way to help inspire and establish the club atmosphere, which was so important to the film. I was never aware of any complaints of harassment or ill behavior during the course of the project.”
You can read the full, original report here, if you like.
Megalopolis. This is Coppola's passion project. He wrote, directed, and produced. Knowing that, I expected a somewhat pretentious self-indulgent artist spectacle, and that's exactly what it is. Everyone was great and I enjoyed each scene, on its own, but as a whole it was a… pic.twitter.com/CRLsefNnsP
— Trojan Manatee (General Tsoseph) (@yippyjoe) October 11, 2024
One more crucial note on the trailer flap. Whoever Coppola hired to run marketing had difficulty rolling out the ad campaign, which in movie-speak comprises the trailer(s). When that budget line item often counts as double the cost of the film itself, that's a major handicap.
‘MEGALOPOLIS’ en su 1.ª fin d semana recaudó 4M$ y en este 2.ª finde 1M$. Esto es el tipo d cosas q los críticos "intelectualoides" pueden llegar a hacer con una Película: Arruinarla!
— CINE PARA PENSAR (@CinePensar) October 7, 2024
Su composición d planos abstractos son impresionantes! #cineoff #megalopolis #FrancisFordCoppola pic.twitter.com/T3z1k5WLeq
The Worst Movie of the Year?
But there were others that said the exact opposite. I trusted the latter, one review in particular, since it wove in interview clips from both Coppola and one of the movie's stars, Adam Driver. The two talked about being baffled when confronted with the criticisms--that it was too bizarre, it didn't make sense, and it was full of bad acting and/or cameos of major actors; for example, a veteran like Dustin Hoffman, whom the critics claimed were wasted and given little to do. This video reviewer, Rick Worley, explained that there were a few reasons why the bad reviews were happening, even though it's a good film.
I'll leave that for later (see Worley's video at the end), but here's something you will not hear from either the director (who covered the entire $120 million budget himself to get it made and wrote the screenplay) or Driver: Any hint of an apology. This was the movie the director meant to make. Coppola even sold part of his prized winemaking company to raise funds. He is all in.
So, I went to see "Megalopolis."
"Is This Way We're Living The Only One That's Available To Us?"
The positive reviews had it right. The movie is good--and that is due in no small part to Adam Driver. Driver, as I've written before, is likely most familiar to moviegoers as a certain "Star Wars" character, but his best work has been in other, often overlooked movies. He was extraordinary in Martin Scorsese's period piece on Christianity in Japan at the turn of the last century, "Silence," and he completely embodied Enzo Ferrari in Michael Mann's family drama about the engineer-race car driver-automotive legend.
The Academy Is About to Snub 'Ferrari'—Here's Why You Shouldn't Make Their Mistake
Here's a little about the plot (again, no spoilers): "Megalopolis" is set in a near-future city called New Rome, which happens to look just like New York City, and it is falling into disrepair. The citizens, likewise, have fallen into decadence and depravity. Cesar Catilina (Driver) is an architect and prize-winning scientist who has a plan to remake the city, block by block, into a forward-looking place, where the people can thrive. He also has a sort of magical building material, which he invented, that can defy modern theories of physics and can change based on conditions. On the other side is the New Rome Mayor (played by Giancarlo Esposito), who has his own plans for revitalizing the city; it must be made of bricks and mortar, though, not this risky and unknown stuff Catalina will use. It's just too much, he argues, the changes he wants to make. Then the mayor's daughter (who is played by unknown, Nathalie Emmanuel) falls in love with Catalina. There's also a sort of news reporter, played with verve by Aubry Plaza, who plays a part in what unfolds, as does a perfectly wacky Shia LaBeouf.
There's another subplot, involving a big bank, who will inherit a massive fortune, and the conflicts that we struggle with as part of a family (Coppola knows a little bit about family dynamics, of course; after all). Speaking of family, his sister, Talia Shire, appears as Cesar's mother.
But, the way he goes about resolving the main plot and subplot is unique and unexpected. As I mentioned, the cinematography and effects are something to behold. Coppola also has a slew of ideas about society he wants us to think and talk about long after the movie ends. I think he succeeded. If someone can name a more open-minded movie from an avowed liberal artist (Francis Ford Coppola is not on the right politically), I don't know about it.
Now, there's more to the movie than just throwing out ideas. Coppola asks hard questions and doesn't look down on the viewers by answering them. There's a warmth here, too; the relationships between the characters are real and moving.
Anyone who has read my movie reviews won't be surprised by this refrain: Everyone needs to go see it (in a theater) as soon as humanly possible. And as I said, see it on as big of a screen as you can. That said, I'm not sure if someone needs to see it in a fancy format (I didn't). You might not get another chance, thanks to the idiots running Hollywood. Their loss.
Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis" is ...
— Becca Lower (@BeccaJLower) October 7, 2024
an enjoyable movie. Don't let strangers with a fetish for hyperbole dissuade you from seeing it how it was meant to be seen, in a movie theater. I promise it will stick with you after the lights come up. #MEGALOPOLIS
So you all have the same primer I did in advance, here's the video blogger video I mentioned:
Hang tight for my new Fall/Winter Awards Season preview, coming soon! Have a great rest of your weekend, RedState!
