BABYLON - Review

Damien Chazelle’s latest film goes all the way as a deconstruction of the recklessness and everlasting nature of the evolving Hollywood system while praising what makes the movie-watching experience so magical. Through clever and fast-paced editing along with massive and outrageous set-pieces. Babylon truly showcases the debauchery and chaos of the industry for a film that flies by its three-hour runtime. Despite obviously being bloated while providing not that much that’s new with its statements. It's never been done on a scale this grand and excessive filled with enthralling characters/performances, crazy camerawork, and another electrifying score from Justin Hurwitz to guide the story.

Still Courtesy - Paramount Pictures

Set during the chaotic and debaucherous times of 1920s-1930s Hollywood as the transitional period from silent motion pictures to talkies occurs. We follow an ensemble of characters as they go through and deal with the evolution of the film industry. Mainly there's Manny Torres (portrayed by Diego Calva) who's a Mexican-American doing whatever he can to be involved on film sets, Nellie LaRoy (portrayed by Margot Robbie) as an eccentric up-and-coming actress that quickly gains stardom, and Jack Conrad (portrayed by Brad Pitt) who's an established actor fearing the inevitable decline of his career.

Now here's the kind of film we don't see often. An original $80 million dollar film that's three hours of pure mayhem, excess, and sensory overload. Certainly Chazelle's grandest movie in scale where he's continued to deliver thought-provoking and gripping films with each new entry he makes. With Babylon, not only is his range truly apparent as he keeps pulling off working in different genres and higher budgets. But even if its story, characters, and themes feel very redundant to other films about filmmaking set during this era (to the point where one of them is prominently featured in the film). It stands out since there's no holding back whatsoever for the sequence of events never being captured in such a colossal, vulgar, and energetic manner as it is here.

Throughout the entirety of Babylon, it's very easy to lose yourself in this world of Hollywood not only through the expressive camerawork capturing the insane amount of extras and incredibly elaborate sets during the film shoots and parties. But the constant expeditious editing and cross-cutting really bring out such a rousing and overwhelming feeling that makes the film never seem dull. So much so that it would be easy to miss all the clever and subtle ways that Chazelle incorporates humor and reveals information just through a quick visual or interaction by how fast it progresses. Even with some immediate tonal shifts that occur as one scene transitions to another. Rather than taking away from the experience, they serve the movie's intent of capturing the ignorance and lack of caution from a 1920s movie set during the time.

But then there's another all-timer of a score from Justin Hurwitz who easily has composed the best music for a movie in 2022. Not only is it fitting with the time period while being perfectly synchronized whenever there are musicians in a scene playing portions of the score. But the wide variety of incredibly unique and bombastic pieces comprised of brass and woodwind instruments make it impossible to not have the music play in your head when thinking about scenes that utilize it. For every new film and score that's released by them, Chazelle and Hurwitz are one step closer to becoming the modern-day Spielberg and Williams.

As amazing as every technical craft is where it's clear as day how the budget was spent. There's no denying how bloated this film is from the numerous characters we follow to the film containing as many provocative segments as one could imagine. Despite all of them being memorable and fun, much of it feels like it's just shocking for the sake of it. The script also feels like it loses balance for some central characters that feel way more developed and well-defined compared to others. At the same time, during scenes where characters are partying and shouting in loud areas, it feels distracting when two characters break into a conversation and these supposed loud areas start sounding quieter. A re-arrangement with the sound mixing and a rewrite to craft a more condensed script would really have put this film on the same level as some of Chazelle's finest films like Whiplash (2014).

There is a lot to break down about Babylon and it's understandable how people would feel polarized by its insanity and relentlessness. But in terms of being in awe of everything displayed on the screen while incorporating impactful statements regarding the industry's carelessness and how each individual's time will unavoidably pass by. Those aspects come together to form an unforgettable wild ride where to quote Tobey Maguire's character (who steals the show with his limited screen time) "It has to be seen to be believed". Also featuring so many hilarious and distinctive set-pieces that will stand the test of time while having Diego Calva, Margot Robbie, and Brad Pitt deliver terrific performances that bring emotional depth to the story as they each go through their own unique journey. Whether audiences react positively or negatively, Babylon will keep viewers immensely entertained while providing lasting reactions all the way to its surreal but purposeful ending.

Verdict

8/10

Still Courtesy - Paramount Pictures