Megalopolis Review – Entertaining, Excellent Story Driven Performances, A Must See
- Details
- Category: Haute This Issue
- Published on Tuesday, 24 September 2024 10:34
- Written by Janet Walker
Megalopolis, from Lionsgate, and Francis Ford Coppola, presents the tale of two cities, one where corporate greed rules the day, or one where those who use their wealth and talent to build a better tomorrow.
Megalopolis opens with a montage of The New Rome, and the former Manhattan, and settles on the inscription of society at Grand Central Station. The film immediately cuts to the office of Cesar Catilina, played by Adam Driver, as he is stepping out on the roof, and looks over the edge at the busyness of life, he takes on step into the void, and says, "Time stop," and instantly time, including gravity, stops. He pulls himself back to the edge of the roof, snaps his fingers, and the world returns.
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We meet Mayor Cicero, played by Giancarlo Esposito, who opens the newspaper and sees his wild child daughter, Julia, posing nude. We then meet Julia, played by Nathalie Emmanuel, at a wild party, filled with decadence, debauchery, a world where the beautiful people abandon themselves to hedonism.
As the party spills out onto the street, a police escort arrives, and Commissioner Stanley Hart, played by D.B. Sweeney, encourages his charge, Julia, to get in the car. Clodio, played by Shia LaBeouf, approaches her and tries to be charming, gentle and kind. He kisses the glass, whispering his love.
On the way to the courthouse, they stop at a demolition site, where Cesar Catilina is preparing to bring down a housing project building. The detonation begins, and he says, "Time Stop," and the world ceases all movement, the building pauses mid-collapse. Julia, from the window of the SUV, is not affected and is stunned at his ability to actually stop time, at whim, or will.
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The next big scene is the unveiling of the building plans for Megalopolis, the brainchild of Cesar Catilina, who is also the nephew of the world's richest man, Hamilton Crassus III, played by Jon Voight, and owner of the bank. The project is being contested by the mayor, who is supported by Nush 'The Fixer' Berman, played by Dustin Hoffman. And reporting on the economics of the city's power players, Wow Platinum, played by Aubrey Plaza.
As the story goes Wow, becomes both the scorned woman bent on revenge, and the wife of the world's richest man and willing to kill to take over. During an interview with Hamilton, she seizes the opportunity, and soon the two are married. We understand she married to spite her former lover, Cesar Catilina, and we see when Julia takes a job as his assistant, Wow explains very clearly, that Catilina belongs to her.
Julia and Cesar continue to grow close, and even when they are both happy, and productive, the forces of evil want will do anything to drive a wedge between them.
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Megalopolis is an entertaining, fearless, mesmerizing, big vision that mirrors many of the messages and themes we see coming out of Washington. Societies divisions, ultimately becomes societies downfall.
While influenced by the polarizing reviews since the film's release, I found the story easy to understand, and the talented ensemble cast delivered strong, entertaining, and courageous performances. The over-the-top performances by Aubrey Plaza, Jon Voight, and Shia LaBeouf contrast the more sedate, but nonetheless riveting performances of Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, and Nathalie Emmanuel.
Francis Ford Coppola's use of symbolism is very apparent, as in Ancient Rome, the use of gold was a sign of wealth and prestige, the yellows, even in the sky, especially at the top of the world, has a gold tone. And as characters die, we see the deaths symbolic and mirror life.
Where there is wealth, there will be greed; where there is love, there will be hate, where there is good, evil will follow, these are the common themes of Megalopolis. The combination of modern hedonism, ancient roman and Greek societies, and an abandon to anything except self, and greed, are like forces, unseen, unchecked, reinforcing the division of two societies, and conversely to combat evil there must be good, which is always the enemy and target of evil.
The tag line, "If you can't see a better future build one," is an affirmation for anyone who cannot see a better vision for themselves. Another resonating theme is don't allow the now, the circumstances, to destroy the future.
Captivating, absorbing, and intriguing, Megalopolis is a must see.
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Country: U.S.
Language: English.
Runtime: 138 minutes.
Release Date: Friday, September 27, 2024.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola.
Producer: Michael Bederman, Francis Ford Coppola, Barry J. Hirsch, Fred Roos.
Executive Producer: Darren M. Demetre, Anahid Nazarian, Barrie M. Osborne.
Writer: Francis Ford Coppla.
Cast: Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, Chloe Fineman, James Remar, D.B. Sweeney, Isabelle Kusman, Bailey Ives, Madeleine Gardella Balthazar Getty, Romy Mars, Haley Sims, Sonia Ammar, Neru Oxman, AJ Caba, Michael Mourra, Charlie Talbert, Tommy Lee Driver, Caroline Bloom, George Dillard, Donald Pitts.
