Megalopolis

Megalopolis

An Audacious, Unwieldy Middle Finger to Convention

★★★☆☆

A bold artistic reach that unabashedly exceeds its master director's grasp.

Directed by the legendary Francis Ford Coppola, Megalopolis is an unconventional amalgamation of genres, historical periods, and visual sensibilities. It represents a radical departure from the grounded realism of The Godfather or Patton, serving instead as an obscure, non-traditional art piece. While it is wildly excessive and often confusingly frivolous, there is something undeniably admirable about its ambition. It functions as a massive rejection of "safe, cardboard cutout narratives," even if it struggles to find a cohesive emotional heart amid its sprawling metaphors.

"Megalopolis feels like a big f**k you to mainstream commercial, conventional, safe, cardboard cutout narratives and works. In that sense it works."

— Ray Manukay

🎬 Cast & Crew

• Director/Writer: Francis Ford Coppola
• Starring: Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza
• Inspiration: The Catiline Conspiracy / Ancient Rome
• Production: Independently financed ($120M+)

The Vision

Coppola seemingly trades his legacy as a mainstream storyteller for the freedom of an indie darling, coloring outside the lines of studio expectations. The film utilizes symbolism and intellectual quotes (like those of Marcus Aurelius) to build an ethereal, non-descript world. It demands to be "absorbed and experienced" rather than dissected for narrative logic. The final act, though clumsy and hurried, cements the film's status as a polarizing experiment that prioritizes artistic impulse over popular audience satisfaction.

🎬 Cinephile Fun Facts

• Self-Funded: Coppola famously sold a significant portion of his **winery empire** to personally finance the $120 million budget.
• Decades in the Making: The director began writing the screenplay for *Megalopolis* in the early 1980s.
• Live Cinema: Early theatrical screenings featured a **live actor** who walked onto the stage to interact with Adam Driver's character on screen.
• A Notable Cameo: The film features Dustin Hoffman, marking a rare collaboration between the two New Hollywood icons.

✅ Pros

• Stunningly ambitious and visually unique.
• A brave, uncompromising rejection of formulaic cinema.
• All actors are fully "game" for the ethereal concept.

❌ Cons

• Lacks a central emotional heart to move the audience.
• Narratively unwieldy and "awkwardly all over the place."
• Final act feels hurried and almost like a parody.

🏆 Final Verdict

A fascinating, flawed masterpiece of excess. Whether it crashes or soars, it is a testament to the fact that one of cinema's greatest is still willing to risk everything for a vision.

View original review on Letterboxd