Babylon (2022) - Vibrant, chaotic and jam packed with passion!

If one film maker was going to get me back into writing reviews, it was always going to be non other than Damien Chazelle. The man behind my all-time favourite film is back in the directing chair, with another passion piece, this time centralising on the revolutionary times in old-fashioned Hollywood. But despite it's heavy star power, this film has been polarising in it's country of origin, not even breaking even with it's $78-$80 million budget through domestic box office takings. Mind you, opening on the same weekend as Avatar was a pretty stupid move. And while critics in the UK are giving it a more positive response, and the international takings are slowly improving it's success, it's safe to say that responses so far have been mixed to say the least. But could this really be a dud from a director who's passion has provided consistent success so far?...

As with Damien Chazelle's other projects, this film is evidently being made by people who care about the subject matter. The attention to detail is extraordinary, and really sells the audience on the setting, even as we cross over different stages in the history of film development. And the subject matter isn't sugar coated in this film. You want to see the crazy, drug fuelled parties of the 1920s, then damn you're gonna see it! Nobody from those times is alive to tell us about those times anymore, so films like this really embrace the over the top, wild and crazy lifestyle on display. This film is unapologetic about it's passion for this subject, and it's great to see. It's safe to say that some imagery is going to be a bit too much for some people. This film is rated 18 in the UK for a reason, but if you're willing to accept that this film is going to be raunchy, graphic and chaotic in every sense of the word, then you'll be fine.

The principal leads are all brilliantly handled. It's an ensemble story, but each of them gets fair billing across the board. Margot Robbie provides another stellar performance, and really shines as LaRoy, who's personality is as loud and ferocious, as it is compelling and charming. Margot Robbie is always on top form, and like LaRoy in the film, she can spin her emotions on the flip of a coin. Brad Pitt and Tobey Maguire are equally brilliant in their appearances. I was particularly shocked by the level of unhinged insanity Maguire brought to his character. When you think of Tobey Maguire, you don't think of unhinged lord of a drug empire. If all you know of Maguire is his days as a web swinging superhero, then give this appearance and films such as 2009's Brothers a watch, in order to see how unhinged and dangerous he can present himself. I have to give massive praise to relatively unknown actor, Diego Calva. After years of working in shorts and international productions, it's great to see Calva getting some exposure to westernised audiences on a larger scale. His on-screen chemistry with Margot Robbie is sublime, as he is equally brilliant at flipping between his emotions effortlessly. A really nice contribution here is how despite not all being in the same scenes together outside of the party scenes, our principal cast are all connected with one another through each other. For instance, Manny is infatuated with Margot Robbie's LaRoy throughout the film, but he also connects with Jack (Pitt) James McKay (Maguire) and Sidney Palmer (Jovan Adepo) LaRoy has an intimate connection with Lady Fay Zhu, who herself also is connected with Jack and Manny. While there isn't one scene of them all together talking, you feel like this is a tightly connected group of people through their various associations.

As his regular collaborator, Justin Hurwitz provides Chazelle with another show stopping music score. It has similar sounds to their previous collaborations, noticeably the jazz influences that wouldn't feel out of place in La La Land, but despite that, the music is still vibrant and specific to this film. When the scene requires something somber and emotional, Hurwitz pulls on your heartstrings just the right amount. While if the scene is a flashy and loud party scene, the music pulls no punches, and is so lively, that it'll make you want to leave you seat, and start dancing in the aisles! The standout piece is Voodoo Mama, which many will recognise from the teaser trailer that most cinemas will have been showing, and it's clear to see why. It's lively, bombastic, and celebrates the lifestyle that our lead characters fit into effortlessly.

After all this praise, you would assume that I adored this film as much as, if not more than La La Land. And if you thought that, then you would have thought wrong! Because this film has a key problem, which can easily put people off it. It's a 3 hour movie... AND IT FEELS LIKE IT! This film just keeps going, and after a while, it really starts to drag it's feet. This is most evident in the last third, where the film suffers the fate of Return Of The King. The film constantly appears like it's about to end... but then it keeps going! Now, it should be said, that every sequence in this film has entertainment value, and flows with the structure of the narrative. But sometimes, these sequences keep going for too long. A key example would be the sequence with Tobey Maguire's character. As fun and freaky as that sequence is, and as great an actor Maguire is in that scene, did it really need to be that long? Did they really need to go to a whole other location to uncover the secret Manny was trying to hide? I think they could've merged both scenes into the sequence at James McKay's mansion, and made it a more compact and tightly woven sequence. Heck, it could've made the scene more tense if it had been shorter.

Additionally, some scenes feel repetitive, such as the scenes with Jack's various wives. Yes, we understand he can't hold down a marriage, we got that the first two times. It didn't need to always have that much focus to make the point. Additionally, LaRoy's connection with Lady Fay Zhu, while an interesting look into the conflict people have when it comes to sexuality, wasn't essential to the story. You could've not had them interact directly, and their stories would've turned out exactly the same way. And you would've still had the characters being connected to one another, as Lady Fay Zhu would've still had her connections with Jack. I still believe this film is a wonderful masterclass of film-making, which makes these minor issues with it's pacing so disheartening to write.

So yes, this film has it's problems with pacing, and definitely overstays it's welcome in the latter half, but does that make it a bad film?... ABSOLUTELY NOT! This film grabs you by the scruff of your neck, takes you on this rollercoaster journey through history, and refuses to apologise for it. It's refreshing, lively and could only be pulled off by someone as evidently passionate and energetic as Damien Chazelle. The colour burst off the screen, and the music tops the cake! But if there is one lesson to learn from this film, it's that sometimes a little less... can provide more of a result. I still take my hat off to Chazelle, the cast and crew for another unique spectacle. If you think you can stomach 3 hours of sex, drugs, parties, and other graphic imagery, then serious give this film a chance to entertain you!

SCORES

Story - 3.5/5

Characters - 5/5

Production - 4/5

Acting - 5/5

Music - 5/5

Total - 9/10