Babylon Review

Babylon will be released in theaters on December 23, 2022.

Damien Chazelle's epic Babylon is hated and hated by the Hollywood machine. 1920s Los Angeles is shiny, dirty, embarrassing, ugly and has a million other descriptions, playing the backdrop of a booming film industry. Babylone Chazelle Once upon a time in Hollywood. An odyssey through decadent millionaire parties, primitive nightclubs and studio soundtracks, where directors push each other until they get the perfect shot. It's a mixture of heart-wrenching tragedy, dreamlike comedy and double-edged "success" stories, but above all. It's a luxurious, swinging mushy brass band.

"Babylon" tells about the trials and tribulations of heroes at the beginning of the era of "talkies". Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) is a silent star who may not have the ability to talk about roles. Nellie Laroy (Margot Robbie) is an unstoppable Noyesville star who is sure to be the next big bomb on every movie poster. Manny Torres (Diego Calva) is a Mexican-American film assistant who witnesses the producer's disgrace. You've met all these types of opportunists, heard them plead for the informal life, and seen them rise to fame before. Now it is Chazal's turn to tell these stories. It builds Jazz Age adventures from the ruins of the Red Light Halls of Hell to Olympian Megamath, where the Golden Gods themselves unknowingly arrive.

The first hour of Babylon is moving faster, almost as promised by the carnal reptiles. Chazelle treated the audience to a beautiful and tragic town party at Gaspard No. At first glance, Babylon is an inspiring parade of 1920s debauchery inspired by Hollywood glamour. When sophistication meets the adrenaline of cocaine, Chazle brings out the wah-wah-wom, the aphrodisiac vibes of revelers who mistake the allure of spectacle for status and value.

That first hour? Where will Chazelle introduce key players and create an incredible Hollywood oasis? It might be one of the most amazing movies to come out in 2022, then the two hours are left and the changes.

After Babylon's opening rumble died down, Chazelle's brilliant commentary became woefully incoherent. Characters wander into each other, ride tails of "sound tree" on the screen or appear out of time. There are some standout moments in the cast, with Rob as the prove-it-all player, Pete dealing with the swan song on the court, and Calva as the moral warrior, but there's still not enough time to output many characters. That's because players like Jovan Adepo, who looks like Black Pipe Dynamo's Sidney Palmer, and Li Jun Li as Lady Fei Zhou were apparently inspired by Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong. Not to get rid of key players such as the sensational journalist Eleanor St. John (Jean Smart) and the actress snob, Jack's third wife Estelle (Katherine Watson). In turn, Chazelle presents a remarkable cast that must address the complex issues raised in the production, from the fight against racism to humanitarian action. It will be a numbers game where the arcs are very close to completion.

It's a shame because there are lovely moments between the characters where the camera disappears. The poignant scene of Jean Smart's speech when Jack meets Eleanor about what he discovered in the favorite magazine shows the ups and downs of the film's best actor, brilliantly played by Smart. Chazle's storyline is at its best when the fragile drug fog has lifted and the characters feel uncomfortable and vulnerable, but that doesn't happen as often as it should. Nellie and Jack are especially overlooked in the grand scheme of the storyline, living in vicious circles as we learn the Hollywood lessons we've been taught for decades. The glass arch effect is what Babylon wants you to believe, supporting the three-hour experience, but the layers it promises are thin and translucent.

Babylon is a tedious task that still seems unfinished.

As Babylon tightens, Chazelle struggles to keep the seams from tearing. There's his miniseries concept, which is probably longer, but interspersed and allows for more in-depth development of all the characters as you feel the organic breaking points where the episodes begin and end. The problem is, despite Justin Hurwitz's Oscar-worthy performance and production cuts, Babylon is a tedious chore that still feels half-baked. You'll cringe when foreign directors shout during intense action scenes or when Samara sneaks into the frame as Robbie's rival (the perfect moment), but there's more to Babylon Lost than joy. fever-sleep hijinx.