Movie Review: 'Megalopolis'

Legendary Director Francis Ford Coppola pushes the boundaries of film and theater with 'Megalopolis,' which is a bold yet polarizing visual masterpiece.

Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina in 'Megalopolis'. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

‘Megalopolis’, the long-awaited new film from legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola (‘The Godfather’ and ‘Apocalypse Now’), finally opens in theaters on September 27th.

The film stars an all-star cast that includes Adam Driver (‘Ferrari’), Giancarlo Esposito (‘The Mandalorian’), Nathalie Emmanuel (‘The Killer’), Aubrey Plaza (‘Emily the Criminal’), Shia LaBeouf (‘Honey Boy’), Talia Shire (‘Rocky’), Jason Schwartzman (‘Asteroid City’), Grace VanderWall (‘Stargirl’), Chloe Fineman (‘Saturday Night Live’), Laurence Fishburne (‘Slingshot’), and Academy Award winners Jon Voight (‘Reagan’), and Dustin Hoffman (‘Wag the Dog’).

Initial Thoughts

(L to R) Writer/Director Francis Ford Coppola and Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina on the set of 'Megalopolis'. Photo Credit: Phil Caruso.

‘Megalopolis’ is the first film from Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola in thirteen years and a project he has been developing since 1977. The result is an exhilarating and complex motion picture that pushes the boundaries of cinema while exploring class and the fragility of societies.

Anchored by a fantastic ensemble of actors including Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Laurence Fishburne and Aubrey Plaza, Coppola experiments with story, visual effects and even live-theatrical components. However, this movie is not for everyone, and will have its fair share of critics due to its experimental nature and a somewhat confusing script. But if you ignore that, and just go for the wild cinematic ride Coppola has created, you will be in awe of the director’s latest masterpiece.

Story and Direction

Writer/Director Francis Ford Coppola on the set of 'Megalopolis'. Photo Credit: Phil Laruso.

Combining the Catilinarian conspiracy with modern day New York, ‘Megalopolis’ is set in a decaying metropolis called New Rome. An Idealistic architect named Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), who has the power to control space and time, seeks to demolish and rebuild the city into a sustainable utopia using a new material called “megalon”. Standing in his way is Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), the Mayor of New Rome who is committed to a regressive status quo.

Things get complicated for Cesar when he falls in love with Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor’s daughter. Also, lurking in the shadows is Cesar’s cousin, Clodio (Shia LaBeouf), who along with his uncle Hamilton Crassus III (Jon Voight) and his new wife former TV journalist Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza), is plotting to destroy Cesar before he can build his new utopia.

Aubrey Plaza as Wow Platinum in 'Megalopolis'. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

Dense and complex, Coppola’s screenplay explores class warfare and how easily societies can fail. Mixing Roman mythology with what at times feels like a Shakespearian script, (Driver even recites the “To be, or not to be” speech from ‘Hamlet’ at one point), the story at times can seem convoluted but if that bothers you, then I think you are missing the point of Coppola’s film. And knowing how much of the script and story was found on the set by the actors through improvisation, to focus on the screenplay’s shortcomings is again, to miss the point of the movie entirely.

Arguably one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema after making ‘The Godfather’, ‘The Godfather II’, and ‘Apocalypse Now’, just to name a few, the true joy of ‘'Megalopolis' is watching the master filmmaker experiment with the medium and create something unexpected and quite beautiful in its own way. Not only is Coppola experimenting with the themes of the movie, but he is also experimenting with filmmaking technologies he hasn’t used before like digital cameras, digital effects, and a fascinating live-theatrical stunt, unlike anything I’ve seen before in a movie theater, but more on that below.

Live Theatrical Experience

Grace Vanderwaal as Vesta Sweetwater in 'Megalopolis'. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

Towards the end of the second act, there is a moment when Driver’s Cesar is participating in a press conference. At that exact moment, the lights in the theater go on, and a person from the audience (obviously a plant) walks up to a microphone close to the screen. Then, in character, the “actor” asks the on-screen Cesar a question as if they are the reporter in the scene themselves. At least in my screening, the timing worked perfectly, and Cesar seemingly answered the member of the audience.

It's obviously a constructed stunt, but I absolutely loved that Coppola decided to experiment in this way and it’s the moment when (faults and all) I really fell for this film. It’s a bold move, and one that I wish more filmmakers would take the risk to do. I’m not saying every movie should have a live component, but I would love to see more filmmakers play with the medium and experiment with techniques that are outside of the norm.

A Misunderstood Masterpiece?

Nathalie Emmanuel as Julia Cicero and Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina in 'Megalopolis'. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

With the media seemingly wanting to see Coppola fail after rumors of production troubles, not to mention the experimental nature of the movie, reviews out of the film’s Cannes premiere have been mixed at best. But don’t listen to them, and don’t even listen to me, see the movie for yourself and make up your own mind! However, I would suggest seeing the film in IMAX, as it adds to Coppola’s vision and the overall experience of the movie.

While it’s unfair to compare ‘'Megalopolis' to Coppola’s past work, it is important to remember (as the fake quotes in the film’s first trailer point out), films like ‘Apocalypse Now’, ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ and yes, even ‘The Godfather’, received some mixed reviews upon release and of course have gone on to be considered cinematic classics. That may or may not eventually happen with ‘'Megalopolis', but it is certainly a bold and intriguing movie, which is in stark contrast to the standard sequels and superhero films that litter our local cinema.

The Cast

Nathalie Emmanuel as Julia Cicero in 'Megalopolis'. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

While the true star of ‘'Megalopolis' in my opinion is Francis Ford Coppola, he has assembled a remarkable cast of actors, young and old, and the film is certainly anchored by Adam Driver’s strong performance. Driver embodies the character with an intelligence and an aloofness that only the former Kylo Ren actor could supply.

Veteran actor Giancarlo Esposito has finally become a household name thanks to his vast television work on hit shows like ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘The Boys’. This is Esposito’s first major role in a movie since his recent success, and while he once again plays the antagonist, the actor gives a very good performance.

Shia LaBeouf as Clodio Pulcher in 'Megalopolis'. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

While purposely over-the-top at times, Shia LaBeouf gives a commanding performance as the sinister Clodio, and Oscar-winner Jon Voight is at his bast in years as Hamilton Crassus III. Also excellent in her role is Aubrey Plaza, perfectly cast as a Barbara Walters meets Megyn Kelly type journalist more concerned with moving up society’s later than reporting the truth. Other strong supporting performances come from Laurence Fishburne (the film’s narrator) and Grace VanderWaal as a Taylor Swift type entertainer.

However, coming off an excellent performance in director John Woo’s remake of ‘The Killer’ is Nathalie Emmanuel, who is adequate as Julia, but has a hard time overcoming the shadows of the other heavyweights in the cast. Talia Shire (Coppola’s sister), Jason Schwartzman (Shire’s son and Coppola’s nephew), ‘Saturday Night Live’s Chloe Fineman and Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman are all welcomed additions to the cast, but unfortunately are not given enough to do.

Final Thoughts

Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina in 'Megalopolis'. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

In the end, you may like ‘Megalopolis’ or you may not, but it is worth seeing in a theater, if for nothing else to experience a once in a lifetime theatrical experience from one of the greatest directors of all time.

‘Megalopolis' receives 9 out of 10 stars.

What is the plot of ‘'Megalopolis'?

In a decaying metropolis called New Rome, Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) is an idealist architect who is granted a license by the federal government to demolish and rebuild the city as a sustainable utopia using a new material, "megalon", which can give him the power to control space and time. His nemesis, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), remains committed to a regressive status quo. Torn between them is Franklyn's socialite daughter and Cesar's love interest Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), who, tired of the influence she inherited, searches for her life's meaning.