Written by Robert Scucci | Published
Cinematic passion projects often share a number of lines to be expected in the form of up-and-coming actors with no star power, budgets tighter than a series of violins that are ready to snap the second they are put under too much pressure, and unfortunately lack the studio support that many established filmmakers are able to access after establishing themselves over time. Francis Ford Coppola’s latest outing, $136 million Megalopolischanged the game by proving that a cast full of A-list actors and the seemingly endless financial resources generated by Coppola’s personal fortune could not save a film that was clearly doomed from the start.
After sitting down and watching myself for 138 minutes of this dystopian science fiction epic, a new line has been added to my headcanon of love projects: the unchecked ego.
That is, it is not a huge stretch to compare Megalopolis’ themes and action in ego-driven projects led by Tommy Wiseau or Neil Breen, two self-proclaimed writers who finance their own projects and have little effect to counter their unwavering, unwavering creative visions.
Money Talks
To be financially independent MegalopolisFrancis Ford Coppola has sold his Sonoma County wineries to Delicato Family Wines in a staggering $650 million dollar equity deal, putting $200 million into the deal to pursue an artistic vision he has been trying to fully realize for 40 years. With the fortune he amassed, Coppola was finally given the opportunity to produce his passion project without studio interference.
Star Power Works Only If The Screenplay Makes Sense
With a high-end budget comes high-level talent, and there’s no shortage of A-listers cast in it. Megalopolis. While it’s easy to blame B-movies (or Megalopoliswhat I call a high-quality B-movie) by having inexperienced actors tasked with telling a story, it became clear to me after watching it Megalopolis that even Adam Driver couldn’t save himself from duplicating Shakespeare while talking like he was a puppet-controlled marionette with a cool sneeze look that looked directly into the studio lights before Coppola yelled “action.”
List Act and Direct DVD Structure
Set in New Rome, an alternate version of New York City, The Driver’s Cesar Catilina is a brilliant but troubled Nobel Prize-winning architect and chairman of the Design Authority in New Rome with a visionary blueprint for the utopia known as Megalopolis. He also has the ability to stop and start time at will, allowing him to think about how to execute his grand schemes under the radar. Cesar’s intellectual and natural gifts are hampered by his severe alcoholism, which began to escalate years ago when his wife mysteriously disappeared and he was put on trial for murder.
Cesar’s opportunism is matched and challenged by New Rome mayor Franklin Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), his clueless but opportunistic cousin Clodio Pulcher (Shia LaBeouf), his ultra-rich uncle Hamilton Crassus III (John Voight), and his current lover. , a TV actress named Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza).
When Cesar suddenly and mysteriously loses his gift for manipulating time, he forms a romantic bond with Julia Cicero, Franklin’s daughter, after realizing that her muse-like existence restores his artistic abilities and time, much to his father’s displeasure.
Bones Without Meat
The general structure of Megalopolis makes for a compelling futuristic melodrama, but it all starts to fall apart when all the pieces of the sliding puzzle fail to connect. While there is no shortage of flamboyant stylistic choices on Coppola’s part to make postmodern America resemble the fall of the Roman Empire, which was at its height and disorder before falling apart completely, style alone cannot tell the story. no matter how good it looks.
Instead, Megalopolis render these bones of cinema into a slurry that the viewer can try to digest while being bombarded with bright colors, allegedly deceptive Vestal Virgins, sprawling city-scapes, a working population in a perpetual state of social and economic upheaval, and John Voight. pretending the bow is buried under his bed sheets is actually a setup for him to plot his revenge on her. nephew, Clodio, who conspired with Wow Platinum to take over his bank.
Cinematic Spectacle
Megalopolis’ god-like, time-conscious, rational but mentally unhinged he portrays the same character you’d see in Neil Breen films like Down twice, I’m here… Now, Passagain Sad Findingsto name a few. And I assure you that the irony is not lost on me that Neil Breen has been able to finance his projects by raising money and his personal fortune amassed through a successful architectural career.
In my mind, Coppola’s fearless creation of Megalopolis he deserves a lot of respect because he had a vision, he stuck to his guns, too you do something the way he wanted to do it. The jury may be out on whether the subject matter is worth your time, but if you have a passion for B, C, D, and Z-level films, you owe it to yourself to see how even the most decorated filmmakers can swing. and miss out unless someone challenges their opinion along the way.
As of this writing, you can watch Megalopolis is in high demand via Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and Fandango at Home.