Babylon, which premieres this Thursday in theaters, was among the films I most wanted to see this year. The reasons are several. Directed by Damien Chazelle (who made La La Land, which I love so much). The stars are Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, always sensational. But especially since it is a film about Hollywood, and even during the transition from silent films to talkies. As Once Upon a Time in Hollywoodwhich also featured Brad and Margot, Babylon mixes fictional characters with real ones. And there are a lot of references and inspirations that make the party for someone who, like me, is a scholar of this era of cinema. I know it may seem early to say this, but I think Babylon It will be on my list of the best of the year.
The film follows the path of four characters in late 1920s Hollywood. Manny (Diego Calva) is a handyman looking for an opportunity in the industry. Jack (Brad Pitt) is Hollywood’s biggest star, living life with everything it has to offer. Sidney (Jovan Adeppo) is a jazz musician who travels to all the local parties. And, of course, there’s Nellie (Margot Robbie). She looks for an opportunity because she knows she has what it takes to be a star. Their lives will intersect in an environment of change. That’s because the movies will start talking, and censorship is on the prowl.
What did I think of the movie?
The film already starts in a rather shocking way when Manny has to make an elephant arrive at a party – in the middle of the desert. This sequence is disgusting and shocking – it even made me think the movie might be unbearable. But from then on, he has everyone entranced by the brilliant party, which looks more like Sodom and Gomorrah (or the Babylon of the title). There are sensational shots as the characters cross from one side to the other while a bacchanalia runs rampant. It’s brilliant! So much so that it is only after half an hour (the duration of the party sequence) that we see the titles of the film.
From there, Damien Chazelle mostly follows the journey of the main characters in the story. And of course, we see especially how everything can go wrong, but it ends up working, so that we see that dream world from the movie screen. There are several passionate sequences, such as the love scene during the sunset, or Nellie’s crying in the bar. Only those who are passionate about cinema could convey this feeling of love. But no scene resonated with me more than the one between Jack and Elinor (Jean Smart) about the importance of cinema, and those who come after them. Exciting – and the actors rock.
And of course, Chazelle did a lot of research. There’s a lot of John Gilbert in Jack. And Nellie is a version of Clara Bow, even entitled to the football team. Lady Fay Zhu (Li Jun Li) is obviously inspired by Anna May Wong. Not to mention Elinor, clearly a mix of Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper, the gossips on duty at the time. Max Minghella plays studio head Irving Thalberg, one of the few real characters in the story. Right after the party, there is an episode that is reminiscent of the Fatty Arbuckle drama. And then there’s the perfect art direction, soundtrack (awarded with the Golden Globe), costumes, makeup, photography.
The cast
And another sensational thing is that Chazelle got the very special participation of several people connected to cinema in her film. Olivia Wilde, Flea, Samara Weaving, Lukas Haas, Eric Roberts, Kaia Berger, Katherine Waterston. And even ’70s great Joe Dalessandro as a party photographer. Tobey Maguire, who is the film’s producer, makes a scary cameo in the final part of the film.
And the main cast shines. Diego Calva, a young Javier Bardem, but with bad teeth, works in a performance that has everything to transform his career. Brad Pitt has a fun performance, but at the same time melancholy. Perfect! But, in the end, the film is Margot’s, in a role that would have been Emma Stone. I honestly don’t think Emma could make that delivery that Margot has as Nellie. As in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, she is the spirit of the film. Indomitable and sensational.
E no final…
And how at the end of La La Land, Chazelle moved me with the final sequence. Even if it didn’t get a unanimous review from critics (this is the kind of movie that would never get that), it’s a gritty movie that won’t leave you indifferent. And you know what? I didn’t even feel the 3:09 pass. It totally won me over.
Eliane Munhoz
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