Babylon

Directed by Damien Chazelle

★★★★

Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in Babylon from Paramount Pictures. Photo credit: Scott Garfield

Bombastic, shocking, vulgar, and ambitious, Babylon is Damien Chazelle’s (La La Land, Whiplash, First Man) latest love letter to film history and production. The film is a strikingly beautiful, fictionalized ode to the transformation of Hollywood during its move from silent films to “talkies.” At just over three hours, Babylon revels in excess, perhaps a bit too much, and suffers in its final hour from its gargantuan runtime.

In a lesser director's hand, Babylon would have crumbled out of the gate. Yet, Chazelle’s mastery of the camera and eye for detailed flares, helps the film maintain momentum, where at times, it should’ve faltered into unsavable territory. The fluid movement of the camera adds to the overwhelming sense of mania. It’s no wonder that Chazelle teams up for a third go-around with cinematographer, Linus Sandgren, who previously won an Oscar for his work on Chazelle’s La La Land.

Also joining forces with Chazelle is Justin Hurwitz (also an Oscar winner for La La Land), who has not only worked on all of Chazelle’s films to date but is also his former college roommate. Their knack for kinetic energy through visuals and sound is unparalleled and is showcased through Babylon tenfold.

The film boasts a bevy of great performances, especially from newcomer Diego Salva, a commanding Li Jun Li,  a surprisingly bold, yet restrained Brad Pitt, and scene-stealing turns from the iconic Jean Smart, Olivia Hamilton, Eric Roberts and P.J. Byrne. Yet, the film is undoubtedly Margot Robbies. Sure, we know she has a captivating presence in all films and is capable of embodying an old-Hollywood starlet (a la Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood, though Tarantino focused a bit too much on her feet), but there is just something about the way she demands your attention in every frame she is present, that just lights up the screen and sends the film skyrocketing to importance. Oscar voters would be amiss to ignore.

However much the film's foreboding screen time and over-reliance on excess may drag it down, the sheer power of the performances and unmatched filmmaking make it something special. But honestly, cut the final act down by at least thirty minutes.