Francis Ford Coppola’s $120m self-funded Megalopolis is no car crash – review

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Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis cost him $120 million to create, and it's quite unlike his famous works like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. However, the movie is full of unique concepts. Many people were eagerly awaiting its Cannes debut on Thursday. The filmmaker spent a lot of time trying to get Megalopolis made, leading to worries about how it would turn out. Additionally, the rumors of set conflicts didn't help. In the end, the movie isn't a disaster – but it does have some issues and a strange quality to it.

In this blog post, the story takes place in a future version of New York that resembles ancient Rome. Unfortunately, the city is struggling financially due to the corruption of the mayor, Cicero, played by Giancarlo Esposito. Despite these troubles, the wealthy young people within the city are living it up without a care in the world. Meanwhile, Cesar Catalina, a Nobel prize-winning architect and physicist, is using his visionary mind to make positive changes. He is also romantically involved with a journalist named Wow Platinum, played by Aubrey Plaza. Her character describes him as handsome but eccentric and very detail-oriented. Adam Driver portrays Cesar in a way that resembles Bruce Wayne but with more intelligence.

Cesar stumbled upon a peculiar substance dubbed "megalon". Its origins remain an enigma to this day. Cesar despises Cicero and is determined to oust him from power. He envisions using "megalon" in constructing a fanciful metropolis. However, matters become more convoluted with the emergence of Julia, Cicero's gifted daughter, who develops an affection for Cesar. Meanwhile, Cesar faces threats from multiple adversaries seeking to defeat him.

Megalopolis has plenty of weird and unexpected moments. For example, out of nowhere, Cesar begins reciting the famous "to be or not to be" speech from Hamlet. Then, there's a scene where Jon Voight, playing a sketchy banker, shoots a foe in the rear end with a gold arrow. Early nightclub scenes are reminiscent of the wild and debaucherous ones in Tinto Brass's Caligula. And the movie even pays homage to the Godfather franchise with a well-executed hitman scene.

Despite having a cast of impressive actors, Coppola's dramatic and exaggerated storytelling method doesn't work in their favor. Many of the performances come across as forced and insignificant. Dustin Hoffman makes an appearance as one of Cicero's supporters, but his character is left with little meaningful dialogue or action. Talia Shire and Jason Schwartzman also have brief cameos. However, Shia LaBeouf stands out in his role as Cesar's power-hungry cousin who enjoys cross-dressing. Although his performance lacks subtlety, his enthusiasm makes up for it. Laurence Fishburne also adds weight to the film as Cesar's loyal driver and assistant, narrating and providing insight to fill in plot gaps.

Megalopolis has a stunning appearance. The tall buildings are illuminated with a golden glow, and the film's futuristic city design brings back memories of Fritz Lang's classic Metropolis from the silent era. It also reminds of the whimsical fantasies that Georges Melies produced in the early days of cinema. Coppola beautifully highlights the flawed US political structure and the media's insatiable hunger for sensational stories.

It's impossible not to admire his boldness (even if it's a bit foolish) for creating a big-budget movie that centers around city planning and includes characters reciting quotes from historic philosophers such as Plutarch and Marcus Aurelius. Unfortunately, Megalopolis does not seem likely to do well at the box office, nor does it have a distributor in the United States. However, it wouldn't be surprising if the film gained a devoted fan base due to its unique and remarkable qualities.

Director Francis Ford Coppola's latest film stars a talented cast of actors, including Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, and Dustin Hoffman. The movie runs for a total of 138 minutes.

The film named 'Megalopolis' will soon be released in the UK.