Megalopolis Review
Francis Ford Coppola returns to the big screen once again with his latest film ‘Megalopolis’, a science fiction epic starring Adam Driver as architect Cesar Catilina. It’s a film that’s at times incomprehensible, with moments happening that are seemingly unconnected to anything at play, while also being extremely obvious in its messaging. Above all, this is Coppola’s vision whole, as he created the entire project himself. And that’s both admirable as it is baffling.
As just mentioned, this film is purely Coppola’s vision. He financed the film himself, both production and marketing costs, as no studio would back him. While Coppola is unlikely to see any return on investment with this project, no one can say that this wasn’t what Coppola wanted to make. There was no studio interfere, just a man with confidence in his vision. And while it doesn’t translate well to the screen, it’s admirable all the same. Most films nowadays don’t take such bold and huge swings. On the flip side however, maybe a studio could have helped with the execution, reining Coppola in when he went too far.
The film is very clearly inspired by myths and legends from Ancient Rome to the Roman city, names, dialogue, settings and much more. It’s a parallel to modern day America Coppola wants audiences to draw, that the signs of societal decay aren’t obvious and that the rich and powerful are prone to excess. This connection is reinforced even further by narration by Laurence Fishburne, who does sound a bit bored and uninterested in what he’s saying.
One actor who’s absolutely not bored or uninterested is Adam Driver. He fully commits to the script he was handed, playing an architect who has definitely lost his mind with all of his crazy inventions. He spouts Shakespearean dialogue with such force, giving his city (and the audience) moral lessons on how to live, that to focus on the now is to focus on the banal, and the future must be given priority. The only other actress that matches his crazy is Aubrey Plaza, a seductress who wants to use her crazy power to increase her own fortune.
The story of ‘Megalopolis’ sees Catilina battle his long time foe Mayor Francis Cicero, played by Giancarlo Esposito. But it also includes a story that includes a battle for the financial sector of New Rome, one that focuses on banker Hamilton Crassus III played by Jon Voight and his son Clodio Pulcher, played by Shia LaBeouf. They don’t really come together at any point, with one resulting in a protest that goes nowhere, and a rivalry that fizzles out by the end of the film.
To describe it as science fiction is also a bit of a misnomer, as there aren’t many aspects that are extraordinary. Catilina’s ability to stop time is barely used, and not once in a plot specific way, and nor is it ever explained. This film is mostly about an alterate America, one that couldn’t stop thinking about the Roman Empire. That might turn off people who are looking for a science fiction epic from Coppola, who instead receive a confused lecture about Rome.
‘Megalopolis’ is a film that Coppola desperately wanted to make. He’s worked on it since the 1980s! This elongated production time, with ideas coming in and being swapped out, likely caused the film to become more confused, with Coppola’s overall message becoming contorted and unclear. It certainly feels that way while watching it. While the opulence of New Rome is beautifully displayed and the scope impressive, for those not immersed in Coppola’s mind there’s mostly confusion and frustration.
