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Babylon
(Paramount Pictures)
By Lucas Allen
Nominated for five Golden Globe awards including Best Picture, “Babylon” is writer and director Damien Chazelle’s story of Hollywood in the early 20th century going through changing times. It’s also a story of decadence, scandal, and debauchery, coming from the perspectives of several characters. If Chazelle’s Oscar-winning “La La Land” was a two-hour fantasy, then this film is a three-hour wild party that seems never-ending. Like it or not, it’s certainly one to remember.
Hollywood in the late 1920s saw an upheaval as silent films became obsolete with the addition of sound. Screen star Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) tries to hold on to his career while dealing with his drinking, his multiple marriages, and his friendship with tabloid journalist Elinor St. John (Jean Smart). Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie) is a rising starlet becoming big, but carries a reputation around town for her outrageous behavior. Then there’s a young Mexican American named Manny Torres (Diego Calva), who’s working his way through the ranks within the small-time Kinescope Studios before becoming head producer and promoting trumpeter Sidney Palmer (Jovan Adepo) as part of the studio’s band.
But each of these three characters will experience their own personal upheavals as time goes on. As Manny tries to take control of film productions, he also has to take control of Nellie’s increasingly erratic behavior. Things come to a head for them when she owes money to a powerful drug lord (Tobey Maguire). Meanwhile, Conrad is losing all sense of morality as his movies continue to flop.
No matter what you may think of this film, the technical qualities are something to behold. The cinematography uses that nice golden filter to great effect giving the film the right authenticity of the era. The sets and costumes also add to the authenticity of the time looking very well done and stylish. With the editing, it seems to share its stylistic approach from Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, but it works much better here. Finally, Justin Hurwitz’s score brings different genres like jazz and Mexicana and mixed together into some sizzling listening experience. All in all, these filmmaking achievements alone makes the whole thing worthwhile.
But while the script nicely pays homage to the movies of the past, it still has its fair share of issues. The story hardly stays focused, tending to drag out many scenes that are more wild than dramatic. Tonally, it’s all over the place with the different sad and comedic moments wildly changing too fast.
Though the editing is good, the three-hour runtime can feel wildly unnecessary at times. The extended opening party scene that sets up the shocking tone feels as long as the opening wedding scene from “The Godfather,” and the extra-extended montage of a day-and-the-life of actors and crews on film sets could use some trimming as well. Regardless, the excessive nature doesn’t stand in the way of the story after a while. Alas, it depends on the patience of the viewers watching it.
The acting is highlighted by both Pitt’s handsome charm and Robbie channeling Harley Quinn for the 1920s. However, the real star is Calva, who carries the film’s heart and personality. It’s also a who’s who of recognizable character actors, like Jeff Garlin and Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which is pretty cool. The best cameo of the bunch belongs to Maguire, playing a real slimy character very well.
“Babylon” can be a hard movie to recommend, especially with its excessive length. But if you can take all its wild and unpredictability, it can be a pretty good time. Just don’t go in expecting anything deep except the magic of movies.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: R (for strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity, bloody violence, drug use, and pervasive language)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3 Stars (Out of Four)
