Writer/director Damian Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash) has helmed his most ambitious feature yet with the 188-minute epic Babylon about the early days of Hollywood.
Manny (Diego Calva), a Mexican-American immigrant gopher for a studio executive, impresses a golden boy actor (Brad Pitt) during a completely nutty party at the executive's mansion. He also meets Nellie (Margot Robbie), a hardcore party girl and wannabe actress. Soon, Nellie finds herself acting in silent films and Manny finds himself working his way up the ladder behind the scenes. The film also finds time for a Black trumpeter (Jovan Adepo), a gossip columnist (Jean Smart), and a cabaret star (Li Jun Li).
The first few minutes of Babylon feature some attention-grabbing grossout moments at the party. These bits, and one or two others later in the film, feel like Chazelle is trying too hard to shock viewers. But thankfully, there's still a lot to like in Babylon. The movie's rambunctious depiction of silent movie sets is fascinating, as its breakdown of how sound changed the mechanics of the shooting process for filmmakers. It also nails both the stress and exhilaration that accompany movie shoots.
As for the performances, Pitt and Robbie are both stars for good reason. They both turn in strong work here. Even though Nellie is endlessly self-destructive, Robbie still makes viewers care about her. But the revelation in Babylon is Calva. Much of the film's climax depends on him, and he nails every big moment. In a late scene, he breaks your heart without saying a word.
The over-3-hour running time and some of Babylon's more explicit moments might scare off some viewers, but it's a movie people really should give a chance. Yes, I'll say it again: if you complain that studios don't release enough original movies for adults in theaters, you really should go out and buy a ticket for films like Babylon.
