Megalopolis (2024)  

Review: written October 2024

Bungled Roman-themed, futuristic, utopian to dystopian, allegorical, romance-infused fable

I admire maverick directors. The sheer chutzpah of declaring that you are so determined to get your big budget movie made on your own terms, that you will sell your vineyard to avoid big studio interference. it makes you want to cheer for the little guy. Even if, in this case, the little guy is Francis Ford Coppola, one of our great visionary directors associated with classic and original movies such as Apocalypse Now and The Godfather trilogy. Which is why it gives me absolutely no pleasure to say that this film is quite dreadful and virtually unwatchable.

Coppola has harboured the ambition to make this movie, an epic ‘fable’ (at least that’s what the title cards tell us when the movie starts) comparing a future America to the decline of the Roman Republic. The theme is that of a cautionary tale – if we allow megalomania, the thirst for power, to take over, then it marks the beginning of the end of civilisation. Its influences are drawn from a lifetime of filmmaking, with movies such as Metropolis looming large, and Coppola allegedly has had 4 decades putting ideas together for the movie after several failed attempts to get it funded.

Storywise, we are led by a ponderous voiceover by Samuel Fishburne which ladles on the intellectualism thick, heavy and impenetrable. This future city, New Rome (New York by another name) has a visionary architect named Cesar (Adam Driver), with plans to reinvent the city, using his mysterious wonder material Megalon. He is at odds with the mayor of the city, Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito). When the mayor’s daughter Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), more used to aimlessly partying with her friends, finds purpose and inspiration following Cesar’s vision of the future, it only serves to heighten the tension between the two men’s conflicting ideologies.

Perhaps those 4 decades were just too long – and Coppola captured too many ideas – because it feels like the film is reaching in so many directions, it lacks tone, meaning, coherency in story or visual style, or even purpose. As a sci-fi movie it throws in some ideas (the lead character can stop time!) and fails to do anything with them. As a Roman epic – well, although following actual Roman historic events, it is neither Roman enough or epic enough. As a drama or romance between the characters, it kind of works for a while, perhaps the only element of the movie that does, thanks to Nathalie Emmanuel’s sparkling screen presence, but the faux philosophising and over cranked script mean that even as a romance it fizzles. As an actors’ showcase, Adam Driver acts his socks off, but thanks to cumbersome material always LOOKS like he’s acting. Shia Labeouf appears to think he is in a remake of Caligula, as he giggles madly, cross dresses, plans the downfall of others and orally pleasures his Aunt “Wow Platinum” played by Aubrey Plaza. Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight are in peripheral roles that don’t go anywhere and feel like they were thrown in for big star gravitas, or maybe just Francis giving his mates a role. And Lawrence Fishburne is Adam Drivers. Well yes, his driver. All he really gets to do is give that painfully pretentious voiceover, alongside cheesy cod philosophising intertitles throughout the movie.

There are a few scenes where we get glimpses of what might have been, such as the vision of the city as it could be, breathtaking visual moments or flourishes of chemistry between characters – there are some great actors here, after all…but it’s swamped by a barrage of changing styles and influences sweeping the rug from under you as you try to enjoy an element. The actors were apparently encouraged to improvise and write scenes throughout the shoot, an experimental style which apparently led various crew members involved with the look of the movie to leave during production. Not the best sign that a production is on the right track – maybe those big studio eyes over his shoulder might have helped, after all..?

Please don’t take all this to think this movie is so bad you have to see it, or it’s just too artistic which is why it is dividing opinion. Spare yourself the pain. Avoid. It was two hours twenty minutes long – but it felt like three and a half. Just enjoy the still photos capturing some of the bonkers but striking visuals instead.