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| Source: Lionsgate |
Structurally devoid of any tangible or solid ideas, Coppola’s old sentimentally shows itself as a filmmaker obsessed with new technological gadgets. While that’s not a bad thing, it’s not a substitute for substance. One of the titular components of the film, “Megalon,” is an undefined building material that feels like a paperweight placeholder rather than a divine object to build a utopia. While not very cinematic, Coppola manages to make imaginary politics as dull as real-world politics, filled with all the opposing ideologies you can think of. The film’s analogy of comparing America to ancient Roman civilization doesn’t work at making messaging feel warranted and does exactly the opposite of what’s expected. Thankfully, it doesn’t commit to a side, but that’s because Coppola’s drunk with delusional and one-note open-ended thoughts about how to “fix” society.
However, there’s no doubt of Coppola’s intended style in this. Never has ancient society looked so contemporary and modern, with him making everything from coliseums to governmental offices reminiscent of the elegance of Rome but with the simpleness of late-20th-century ideals. However, the VFX in this is “anything goes,” with a variety of modern effects being used to enact a futuristic vision. Sloppy green screen usage is galore with lazy CGI being used to present a disorienting landscape. The editing feels very student-like, with confusing cuts being paired with lazy transitions. For a notable legacy filmmaker, it’s honestly disappointing that this lacked polish and fluidity, especially as this is my first taste of his filmography.
Proving that legacy filmmakers can still draw in big names, this has got new and old talent alike; names from Aubrey Plaza to Dustin Hoffman appear in this and give satisfactory performances (most of the flaws in this relate to the dialogue). Caesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a visionary with a tortured mind, is our main character as we follow his journey to make his perfect utopia, or “Megalopolis” come to life. Given that I’ve only seen him in franchise fare, he does an immense job here, giving a seriously dramatic performance that captures the range of a fractured character.
It’s no secret that Megalopolis might just be one of the biggest messes of the year, if not the decade. In what creativity is present in this, Coppola tries to present his vision of a philosophical future, aided by decent performances and unique set design. Despite this, it’s a fragmented film that never accomplishes the vision it sets out to achieve.
My Rating: 3.5/10 🍿🍿🍿 Now playing in theaters! A LIONSGATE RELEASE |
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