Our J.P. gives his take on Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” starring Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, and Nathalie Emmanuel.
Megalopolis
(Lionsgate Films)
- Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
- Written by Francis Ford Coppola
- Produced by Barry Hirsch, Fred Roos, Michael Bederman, Francis Ford Coppola
- Starring Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Kathryn Hunter, Dustin Hoffman
Studio Synopsis:
MEGALOPOLIS is a Roman Epic set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.
J.P.’s Take:
“Megalopolis” has been one of those “labor of love” projects for the renowned filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. It’s been a decades-long excursion, and, back in the day, he couldn’t get off the ground simply because the script was too far-fetched to attract funding.
The film’s ambitious, ultra-futuristic concepts are so far ahead of their time that even now, after its release, they still feel a bit out there. Yet, that’s just part of Coppola’s grand filmmaking style. He’s known around the globe for creating atmospheric and thought-provoking films, and a unique project like “Megalopolis” has some significance.
It’s the kind of cerebral sci-fi / drama that bears the weight of conveying both social / political ills in a vivid, almost exaggerated manner, while simultaneously expressing ways to circumvent these issues through its characters. “Megalopolis” is a tale of Romanesque storytelling, which feels just as surreal as it looks. It’ll take more than just this review to even begin to tell you about the sprawling mindscape of a movie like this.
As the story goes, we witness the dawning of a new age for New Rome, after a devastating event has reduced the city to dismal conditions. Genius architect Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), who can stop time, has invented an advanced building material called “Megalon,” a bio-adaptive building material, to reconstruct the city in a utopian fashion. The mayor of New Rome, Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), uses blackmail and smear campaigns to discredit Catilina to win over the city’s patrons. Cicero deems Catilina a fraud and murderer, since the disappearance of Catilina’s wife under suspicious circumstances. Within this simple plot, there lies the stories of the super-rich as they live lavishly, throwing decadent parties filled with sex drugs, and other scandalous activity, while the poor live under the shadow of those who oppress them.
What I feel Coppola is expressing within “Megalopolis” is that it is a wake-up call to a society that is spiraling out of control into a misguided, greedy, and largely power-hungry world. The philosophy I gathered from its “Matrix” like plot-coursing is that it won’t be technology or the lust for power or money that will profoundly move society; it is wisdom that will allow us to understand the time to move us forward. And speaking of time, Coppola uses the apparatus of “time” to express the sentiment that time is both precious and of the utmost essence. The film then marches on into the far future, where “Megalon” has taken hold of the city, transforming it into the utopia Catilina had dreamt of.
The visuals here are quite A.I. inspired, where the city skyline is teaming with organic buildings — with swooping ribbons of light and movement — almost as if it were alive and made of flora. Vehicles are bubbles that bounce and roll about with floating ease and with moving sidewalks that lead into other parts of the city like a portal.
The performances are over the top and eccentric, which makes for an enthralling watch:
- Adam Driver conjures up Cesar Catilina as if he were King of New Rome. He has a stout handle on how he delivers his speeches.
- Giancarlo Esposito is the commanding and hard-nosed Mayor Franklyn Cicero.
- Aubrey Plaza almost steals the show with her wicked, naughty, and wild portrayal of Wow Platinum (yes that’s the character’s name).
- I was taken back by Shia LaBeouf’s performance as he plays the outlandish Clodio Pulcher, Caesar’s cousin.
- Nathalie Emmanuel is the doe-eyed and lovely, caring Julia Cicero, daughter of Mayor Franklyn Cicero.
- Jon Voight plays the Trump-like Hamilton Crassus III, and does so with authenticity.
- Laurence Fishburne pulls double duty, serving as the film’s narrator and as Cesar’s personal assistant Fundi Romaine. I enjoy his steadfastness here.
- Talia Shire plays Ceasar’s mother, the ‘mommy dearest” type, Constance Crassus.
- Jason Schwartzman is the noble Jason Zanderz, Mayor Franklyn’s righthand man.
- Kathryn Hunter is Franklyn’s levelheaded wife Teresa Cicero.
- Grace VanderWaal is the innocent and pure Vesta Sweetwater, a virginal teen pop singer.
- Chloe Fineman is Clodia Pulcher, Clodio’s sister.
- Dustin Hoffman portrays Franklyn’s fixer, Nush Berman with an underhanded smarminess.
- Lastly, Balthazar Getty and D.B. Sweeny put on notable performances as Aram Kazanjian, Clodio’s right-hand man, and Commissioner Stanley Hart, respectively.
If you can keep your eyes peeled and mind open for the long-winded 2 hour, 18 minute run time, you’ll get an eye and ear full of its hidden, ponderous messages. But be mindful, this is not a movie that’s made for a wide audience.
I like to dive into films, such as “Megalopolis,” simply because it’s not your run-of-the-mill blockbuster stinker. It takes some thinking and a few more views to get the gist.
“Megalopolis” may not be a classic now, but years from now … it’ll start to make sense.
Official Site: Megalopolis
