Rating: 1/5
Synopsis:
Francis Ford Coppola has presented us with his career long passion project. Does it pay off? We explore the city of New Rome, a struggling urban empire with corruption at the hands of an unpopular mayor. But Cesar Catilina, a brilliant and reckless architect, has a different vision for the future. He has ideas of a utopian society, garnering the attention of the mayor’s daughter. Can her ties to both men salvage a truce? Or will their egos clash at the expense of the city?
Positives:
I have long admired the work of Francis Ford Coppola. He is a visionary filmmaker that has crafted some of cinema’s greatest achievements. That being said, he’s also had a few missteps. Hearing him describe his enthusiasm for “Megalopolis” gave me excitement. But the more I heard about the film the more I anticipated problems. I’ll give credit where it’s due though, as Megalopolis is certainly a distinct vision. The film feels like the work of someone who avoided studio interference and put his unfiltered vision into work. Whether that works or not, it’s rare to see that kind of creative display nowadays. I also found the visual style to be quite immersive. The set pieces and theatrical presentation of the city nicely combined elements of ancient Rome and modern New York City. This level of style is also present in the costume design, which is top notch.
Negatives:
It pains me to say it, but “Megalopolis” might be the worst film of 2024. The year still has some time, but YIKES. I don’t typically enjoy ranting on a film for too long but I cannot help but be perplexed by Coppola’s vision. It is a mess from start to finish. I couldn’t make sense of the plot for the nearly two and a half hour runtime. The rules and logic that dictate this are not well defined, making the plot feel incredibly loose. The story seems like an amalgamation of ideas that are all presented at once but never explored enough to resonate. By the end, the story was so unsatisfactory that I could not describe the plot to readers if I tried. The relationships between the characters are strangely distant from one another, where connecting with any of them feels impossible. The eccentricity to each person feels odd in accordance to the seriousness of the themes. None of the performances make sense in context of the larger story, but the actors were giving it their all with the material they were given. I am truly baffled at Coppola’s vision and wonder how on earth he thought this was the story that needed to be told.
The failure of “Megalopolis” makes me question if Coppola would have made any changes knowing the negative reactions to the film. While the story is unnecessarily convoluted, the themes of a brighter future are presented in a strangely simple way. Nothing about the plot brings audiences in or challenges perspectives in a meaningful way. We are instead forced to endure a long, muddled series of events that spends most of the runtime going nowhere. I don’t believe the distorted versions of reality help move the story forward or enhance the many perspectives being presented. It is ridiculous, overlong, and a blatant misfire. It pains me to leave a Francis Ford Coppola film feeling so defeated…but here we are. For context, Coppola sold his vineyard to finance the film and largely covered the cost of production himself. I wonder if he still believes the film was worth the decades of struggles and large sums of money he put into it. Me? I believe this was wasted potential to the highest degree and a vanity project that will likely be forgotten in years to come. I know Coppola believes the film will age well but I don’t think it accomplishes enough to warrant a revisit.
Conclusion:
“Megalopolis” is a megabummer. It is overling, confusing, and dull. The story wastes an impressive cast and a thoughtful premise for a misguided attempt at saying something important about America. Some of the ideas presented are fascinating, a few of which I even agree with. But the distorted approach and muddled presentation of perspectives boggs everything down. I wish I could say that there were some redeeming qualities but I cannot find much of a reason to recommend the film at all. I’d only say check it out if seeing all of Francis Ford Coppola’s films is a must. Otherwise, steer clear of this one. It is unfortunately one of the biggest disappointments of the year.