If anything is clear it鈥檚 that has a lot on his mind.
The legendary filmmaker spent decades on this Roman-style epic, set in the present day, about a civilization on the brink of collapse. A wealthy and powerful few of the old guard are running the gilded city of New Rome into the ground, a new generation is embroiled in a stalemate of a culture war between hedonists and puritans and a visionary architect caught in the middle is dreaming up a different future.
But none of that captures the wild experience of actually watching 鈥淢egalopolis,鈥� a sprawling, operatic, clumsy and fascinating film that should inspire discussions for many years to come.
is not a disaster, but it鈥檚 far from a success. It鈥檚 a bacchanalia that鈥檚 bursting with so many ideas, so many characters, so many great lines and truly terrible ones as well that it鈥檚 nearly impossible to digest in a single, baffling viewing.
If there is a center to this story it鈥檚 Adam Driver鈥檚 Cesar Catilina, an artist who can stop time and who believes that a substance called Megalon, a shimmering people mover that can be used to make a translucent (but not naked) dress or reconstruct a face mangled by a gunshot, is the way to a utopia. Driver is a great actor who is utterly misused here as a grief-stricken, alcoholic, 鈥淗amlet鈥�-quoting megalomaniac aristocrat who spends his days in an art deco ivory tower (the Chrysler Building) fretting about time and what the corrupt Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) is doing to the city.
We鈥檙e supposed to believe that Cesar is a widely desired catch who would attract the mayor鈥檚 beautiful daughter Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel) to his side. But had more charisma than Cesar. The story鈥檚 ability to sell Cesar as something special is not helped by Julia, more symbol than character despite plentiful screentime, whose leaden dialogue is not given any life or spark by Emmanuel.
Their Romeo-and-Juliet love story is labored, to say the least, despite some stunning shots that might suggest otherwise. It鈥檚 a problem with much of the conflicts and connections in the film, which all sound great on paper 鈥� they should, as much of it is drawn from juicy Roman history 鈥� but fumble in execution.
That鈥檚 not to say that all the actors wither under the excess. The great Talia Shire, as Cesar鈥檚 cold mother, does more than either Driver or Emmanuel, with just a handful of lines and scenes. Aubrey Plaza, too, seems to have understood exactly what 鈥淢别驳补濒辞辫辞濒颈蝉鈥� needed from a character named Wow Platinum, a social-climbing broadcast journalist who marries Jon Voight鈥檚 bank scion Hamilton Crassus III: a high dose of camp. She embraces the silliness of her dialogue, seeing the comedic potential in every ridiculous moment.
It鈥檚 hard to stress just how much there is stuffed into two hours and 18 minutes. Shia LaBeouf is Clodio Pulcher, the rich kid son of Crassus, who has Mae West eyebrows and long feral hair. He is in love with Julia, jealous of Cesar and may be having an incestuous relationship with his party girl socialite sister Clodia (Chloe Fineman). He attempts his own political bid, preying on the city鈥檚 desperate peasant class. Laurence Fishburne is Cesar鈥檚 driver (and the narrator of the film). Dustin Hoffman is a fixer. Jason Schwartzman is around (and delightful, as always). There鈥檚 a pop star named Vesta Sweetwater (Grace VanderWaal) who has taken a virginity pledge. Even Romy Mars plays a teen reporter!
鈥淢别驳补濒辞辫辞濒颈蝉鈥� shines brightest with its crafts, including Milena Canonero鈥檚 decadent Roman-inspired frocks, Osvaldo Golijov鈥檚 sweeping, romantic score and Mihai M膬laimare Jr.鈥檚 golden cinematography that makes the feast of the production design glow lovingly.
But this is a film that I can only in good conscience recommend fully to cinephiles, who were most certainly going to see it regardless. It鈥檚 Coppola鈥檚 first in 13 years, after all, and one that he boldly and admirably self-financed. I hope that it鈥檚 the movie he wanted to make. For anyone else, it鈥檚 a tougher sell 鈥� not unworthy of someone鈥檚 time and money, but also not guaranteed to be especially rewarding or satisfying for anyone hoping that he鈥檚 made another 鈥淕odfather鈥� (and who hasn't watched 鈥淭wixt鈥� or 鈥淭etro鈥�).
Coppola is an artist whose films sometimes take time to find their place in audiences鈥� hearts and minds. No one understands that as pointedly as he does. Whether or not there鈥檚 a drastic reappraisal somewhere down the line, 鈥淢别驳补濒辞辫辞濒颈蝉鈥� will forever be a fascination.
鈥淢egalopolis,鈥� a Lionsgate release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for 鈥渟exual content, nudity, drug use, language and some violence.鈥� Running time: 138 minutes. Two stars out of four.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
