MOVIE REVIEW: BABYLON

 

Decadence, depravity, and outrageous excess lead to the rise and fall of several ambitious dreamers in 1920s Hollywood.

Director: Damien Chazelle

Cast:  Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Tobey Maguire

Release Date: December 23, 2022

Genre: Comedy, Drama, History

Rated R for strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity, bloody violence, drug use, and pervasive language.

Runtime: 3h 9m

Damien Chazelle's Babylon is a frenetic, overstuffed film that's engaging but terribly unfocused.  Chazelle opening sequence plays like Eyes Wide Shut through Baz Luhrmann's lens but with a lot more bodily fluids.  It’s a kinetic introduction to primary characters and setting overall.  The excess on display is indulgently, outrageous on multiple levels but there's a tangible sense of energy and melancholy pulsating through the screen.  The impressive thing is that Chazelle keep that energy going for the better part of the film even though you get the sense that it would have benefited from some selective editing.  A tighter film would have focused its characters, themes and story particularly in its uneven and off kilter final act.  Even though the film loses itself on multiple occasions the cast makes it an easier pill to swallow by delivering impressive turns across the board.  Brad Pitt is excellent as the fading silent film star who used to be the biggest name in Hollywood. Pitt easily carries the earlier portion of the film with his charisma which works perfectly for his character however his more nuanced and subtle work in the back half of the film is much more impressive. Margot Robbie is equally impressive as the overnight starlet who’s destined to flame out in short order.  Robbie's manic energy is perfectly suited for her character who can best be described as a squirrel on cocaine.  It’s hard to take your eyes off her when she's onscreen but we never get under her skin as she remains an enigma who's just out of reach.  Diego Calva's wide-eyed Manny exemplifies that as he serves as the film's beating heart.  Calva has a likable onscreen presence that plays well even when he's onscreen with his bigger name stars.  Jovan Adepo and Li Jun Li both deliver fascinating supporting turns, but their characters are underserved to the detriment of the overall film.  It’s a glaring misfire since the film has more than enough time to focus on their characters than it ultimately does even though their story threads are just as important as the others.  Ultimately, Babylon the kind of film that's trying to say too many things at once.  There are a few moments in its final act where the characters vocalize the themes Chazelle is trying to address but his lack of focus keeps them from landing the way they should.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: OVERLORD

On the eve of D-Day, American paratroopers drop behind enemy lines to penetrate the walls of a fortified church and destroy a radio transmitter. As the soldiers approach their target, they soon begin to realize that there's more going on in the Nazi-occupied village than a simple military operation. Making their way to an underground lab, the outnumbered men stumble upon a sinister experiment that forces them into a vicious battle against an army of the undead.

Director: Julius Avery

Cast: Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, Mathilde Ollivier, John Magaro, Gianny Taufer, Pilou Asbæk, Bokeem Woodbine.

Release Date: November 9, 2018

Genres: Action, Horror, Mystery

Rated R for strong bloody violence, disturbing images, language, and brief sexual content

Runtime: 1h 49 min

Review:

Overlord is a schlocky B movie that hits all the right notes.  Julius Avery directs the film with a steady hand.  The film opens with an amazing aerial sequence that will make some people think of the opening sequences in Saving Private Ryan.  As the film settles in, you get the feeling you are watching a well made World War 2 film as the film introduces us to classic war movie types.  These types could typically come off as clichéd but the performances from the cast makes them all interesting and engaging.  Avery and his cast establish an excellent sense of atmosphere and the feeling that something is just a tad bit off.  Once the film takes its right turn, which has been highlighted in the trailers, it turns into a full tilt horror film and does it quite well.  It calls to memory the reaction people had to From Dusk till Dawn, some people will go with it others will be turned off by where the film ends up.  Those that stick with it will find plenty to enjoy because as a horror film it’s an effective gory ride.  

B+