Megalopolis: Another Review

1st October 2024

Megalopolis: Another Review. By Daniel Rester.

Legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola was a key figure during the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s. A few of his films are regarded as timeless masterpieces, including The Godfather (1972), The Godfather Part II (1974), and Apocalypse Now (1979). And yet his career output has become more unpredictable over the years.

Coppola returns now with Megalopolis, his first film in thirteen years and a passion project he has been trying to get off the ground for forty years. He ultimately had to self-finance the film by selling part of his winery because nobody wanted to fund it. Did the studio heads make the right decision in avoiding the project, or has Coppola proven them wrong and returned to his glory days?

Megalopolis takes place in an alternate America, with “New Rome” in place of New York City. Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) is a brilliant architect who has the ability to stop time and has created a new building material called Megalon. He wants to use it to design a utopia called “Megalopolis” in order to bring humanity into the future.

Cesar faces opposition from the city’s arch-conservative mayor, Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), and a scheming ex-girlfriend, Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza). Meanwhile, Cesar becomes romantically involved with Cicero’s daughter, Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel). This new relationship is complicated though since Cesar is haunted by the death of his wife.

Coppola’s film is a wildly uneven one, full of big ideas, experimental flourishes, and underwritten characters. Some of it is flat and self-indulgent while other parts are mesmerizing and thought-provoking. It’s a film that left me wondering about the fate of humanity while also questioning the decision to have Jon Voight’s billionaire character pretend to have an erection in one scene.

The various plot threads simply don’t all come together smoothly and the film leaves the audience with many questions. How can Cesar stop time? Why does he need to be framed in a sex scandal by his mischievous cousin Clodio (Shia LaBeouf) just for it to be dropped in a few minutes? What are the exact rules behind Megalon and its applications?

Megalopolis works best when it focuses on Cesar’s optimistic mission. He is trying to bring the people out of the ruins of Roman-like power and into a more promising future, but he faces many obstacles. His arguments with the more traditional Cicero about what is best for the people are fascinating, while his opponent Clodio represents more of a fascist mob mentality that stirs fear in the people.

Driver does well at the center of Megalopolis, with Esposito solid as well. Emmanuel feels completely out of place though and the rest of the supporting cast is hit and miss. Plaza and LaBeouf are clearly having a good time in villainous roles (and they share an amusing sex scene), but they come across as cartoonish at times. The great Laurence Fishburne, who worked with Coppola on Apocalypse Now, narrates Megalopolis with smoothness but is strapped with a role unworthy of his talents (as Cesar’s driver). Dustin Hoffman, Talia Shire, and Kathryn Hunter also pop up in smaller parts.

Coppola still knows how to craft dazzling sights. The visual language of Megalopolis managed to make me think of both Metropolis (1927) and Ben-Hur (1959) at the same time. Some of the effects look dated at times, but at other times they are impressive. Giant human shadows creeping across buildings and crumbling stone pieces of art have an alluring power to them. Cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr. also dunks the film in golden hues while editors Cam McLauchlin and Glen Scantlebury find creative avenues in delivering Coppola’s chaotic story.

I can understand why some producers avoided Megalopolis due to its bold swings, but I’m also glad Coppola was able to make the film despite the lack of assistance. And yet I am doubtful that it may ever be heralded as a masterwork like his ‘70s films. It’s understandably facing polarizing reactions currently, and it will likely continue to divide audiences. I wish Megalopolis was better, but I still admire much of it, and it isn’t the trainwreck some are trying to make it out to be.

Rating: 7/10

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