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Megalopolis, Francis Ford Coppola (Claims it’s his best work), Adam Driver

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1 hour ago, ArtisanalLoaf said:

Starting to see reports of a great reception at Cannes.

Would be great if it makes its money back - I give the man credit for liquidating a lot of assets to make it.  Would make for a nice swan song if it does well, even though none of the major companies were willing to do it.

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bolverk

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Many reviews were blisteringly bad. Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian called it “megabloated and megaboring.” Tim Grierson for Screen Daily called it a “disaster” “stymied by arbitrary plotting and numbing excess.” Kevin Maher for the Times of London wrote that it’s a “head-wrecking abomination.” Critic Jessica Kiang said “Megalopolis” “is a folly of such gargantuan proportions it’s like observing the actual fall of Rome.”

But some critics responded with admiration for the film’s ambition. With fondness, New York Magazine’s Bilge Ebiri said the film “might be the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.” David Ehrlich for IndieWire praised a “creatively unbound approach” that “may not have resulted in a surplus of dramatically coherent scenes, but it undergirds the entire movie with a looseness that makes it almost impossible to look away.”

“Is it a distancing work of hubris, a gigantic folly, or a bold experiment, an imaginative bid to capture our chaotic contemporary reality, both political and social, via the kind of large-canvas, high-concept storytelling that’s seldom attempted anymore?” wrote David Rooney for The Hollywood Reporter. “The truth is it’s all those things.”

https://apnews.com/article/megalopolis-cannes-francis-ford-coppola-d965352b9f0f5d78d6c470beb801f6f8

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WBT

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3 hours ago, DixonHur said:

I excited to see it, but I can't imagine it's better than Godfather I or II.

If it is, it should sweep the Oscars.

Hot take Stephen A

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Gene Parmesan

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4 hours ago, DixonHur said:

I excited to see it, but I can't imagine it's better than Godfather I or II.

If it is, it should sweep the Oscars.

Actors today are so much stronger and faster with their lines than the 70s. It’s apples and oranges. If they released The Godfather in the current era, it would be a lifetime movie at best. 

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HornOnTheBayou

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11 hours ago, bolverk said:

Many reviews were blisteringly bad. Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian called it “megabloated and megaboring.” Tim Grierson for Screen Daily called it a “disaster” “stymied by arbitrary plotting and numbing excess.” Kevin Maher for the Times of London wrote that it’s a “head-wrecking abomination.” Critic Jessica Kiang said “Megalopolis” “is a folly of such gargantuan proportions it’s like observing the actual fall of Rome.”

 "This pretentious, ponderous film is enough to prompt the question, 'What day did the Lord create Megalopolis, and couldn't he have rested on that day too?'"

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billfromlaketravis

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11 hours ago, bolverk said:

Many reviews were blisteringly bad. Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian called it “megabloated and megaboring.” Tim Grierson for Screen Daily called it a “disaster” “stymied by arbitrary plotting and numbing excess.” Kevin Maher for the Times of London wrote that it’s a “head-wrecking abomination.” Critic Jessica Kiang said “Megalopolis” “is a folly of such gargantuan proportions it’s like observing the actual fall of Rome.”

But some critics responded with admiration for the film’s ambition. With fondness, New York Magazine’s Bilge Ebiri said the film “might be the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.” David Ehrlich for IndieWire praised a “creatively unbound approach” that “may not have resulted in a surplus of dramatically coherent scenes, but it undergirds the entire movie with a looseness that makes it almost impossible to look away.”

“Is it a distancing work of hubris, a gigantic folly, or a bold experiment, an imaginative bid to capture our chaotic contemporary reality, both political and social, via the kind of large-canvas, high-concept storytelling that’s seldom attempted anymore?” wrote David Rooney for The Hollywood Reporter. “The truth is it’s all those things.”

https://apnews.com/article/megalopolis-cannes-francis-ford-coppola-d965352b9f0f5d78d6c470beb801f6f8

This makes me want to see it more. He took a big swing, and he most likely missed, for now. I’m getting a Brazil vibe.

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hobbes2702

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17 hours ago, bolverk said:

Many reviews were blisteringly bad. Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian called it “megabloated and megaboring.” Tim Grierson for Screen Daily called it a “disaster” “stymied by arbitrary plotting and numbing excess.” Kevin Maher for the Times of London wrote that it’s a “head-wrecking abomination.” Critic Jessica Kiang said “Megalopolis” “is a folly of such gargantuan proportions it’s like observing the actual fall of Rome.”

But some critics responded with admiration for the film’s ambition. With fondness, New York Magazine’s Bilge Ebiri said the film “might be the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.” David Ehrlich for IndieWire praised a “creatively unbound approach” that “may not have resulted in a surplus of dramatically coherent scenes, but it undergirds the entire movie with a looseness that makes it almost impossible to look away.”

“Is it a distancing work of hubris, a gigantic folly, or a bold experiment, an imaginative bid to capture our chaotic contemporary reality, both political and social, via the kind of large-canvas, high-concept storytelling that’s seldom attempted anymore?” wrote David Rooney for The Hollywood Reporter. “The truth is it’s all those things.”

https://apnews.com/article/megalopolis-cannes-francis-ford-coppola-d965352b9f0f5d78d6c470beb801f6f8

Bilge is a great critic, and we share a lot of similar opinions, but I wouldn’t say that sounds like a ringing endorsement.

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hobbes2702

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14 hours ago, Gene Parmesan said:

Actors today are so much stronger and faster with their lines than the 70s. It’s apples and oranges. If they released The Godfather in the current era, it would be a lifetime movie at best. 

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C-Man

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https://variety.com/2024/film/news/megalopolis-craziest-moments-francis-ford-coppola-1236006842/

WARNING -- the below includes spoilers.

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SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for Francis Ford Coppola‘s “Megalopolis,” which premiered at Cannes Film Festival on May 16.

The wait is over: Francis Ford Coppola’s sci-fi drama “Megalopolis” has finally premiered at Cannes Film Festival, shocking and dividing critics.

The film, a $120 million epic starring Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Giancarlo Esposito and Shia LaBeouf, was financed by Coppola himself — and has yet to secure a distributor in the United States. Regardless, the movie earned a 7-minute standing ovation from Cannes, as Coppola hugged Driver and Esposito and delivered an emotional speech dedicating the film to hope and family.

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Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge wrote in his review that the film “is positively awe-inspiring in some places and an absolute eyesore in others, until you pull back and try to take it all in.” Though reactions have been mixed, the film was undoubtedly jam-packed with scenes that ranged from visionary to just plain puzzling.

Popular on Variety

02:41

09:46

Below, read about the five craziest moments in “Megalopolis.”

MAGA LaBeouf

In “Megalopolis,” LaBeouf plays Clodio Crassus, the enfant terrible of a banking dynasty — one who sleeps with his relatives, galvanizes the 99% with fear and takes pride in his superficiality. Imagine young Connor Roy with a rattail and Kendall’s love of drugs. In the end, the rebellious poor population of Coppola’s fictional city expose him for the false god he is. Literally strung up by his toes in his final moments on screen, an angry mob pelts him with anything they can find. The last object hits him in the gut. It’s a red baseball cap which reads “Make America Great Again.”

City of Sisterly Love

For some reason, the children of bank overlord Hamilton Crassus III (Jon Voight) have a penchant for incest. LaBeouf’s Clodio and his sisters, one of whom is played by Chloe Fineman, allude to having sexual relations with each other and even demonstrate some of this during their father’s wild circus-themed wedding to Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza). How this serves the plot remains unclear.

Sexy Auntie Wow

After Wow marries into the Crassus fortune, she makes it her goal to take over the bank and give it to her true love, Driver’s Cesar. But in order to do that, she seduces LaBeouf’s Clodio, insisting he call her “Auntie Wow” as they do the deed. This leads into a several minute scene in which Clodio performs cunnilingus on Auntie Wow as she cuts off his rattail. Romantic!

Virgin Suicide

Coppola grounds his mind-numbing plot with something any American relate to — a monolithic pop girlie. Viral “America’s Got Talent” winner Grace VanderWaal, who won that competition with sweet ukulele songs at age 12, plays Vesta Sweetwater. A culture-dominating singer who also plucks a small string instrument, this character is all grown up and has an insidious gimmick: she’s a virgin saving herself for marriage, and the nation gets behind her purity. Funny, because that’s the name of the hit single she performs at the “Megalopolis” version of ancient Rome’s Colosseum. The rich donate hundreds of millions on the spot to “help support her pledge.” Except after her performance of “Purity,” LaBeouf’s character arranges the broadcast of a deepfake sex tape starring VanderWaal and Driver’s character. She is shamed and ripped off stage as Driver’s character is arrested for statutory rape. Not the best era in her career.

Hard Times for Jon Voight

Variety previously reported that one of the most jaw-dropping moments at an early buyers screening was a scene involving Voight, Plaza, LaBeouf and a hospital bed erection. We can confidently report the same was true for the Cannes premiere. Clad in a leopard blanket, Voight indeed shows off what looks to be an unseemly “boner,” in his own words. It’s revealed to be a miniature bow and arrow, which has fatal consequences for one of his scene partners. The other gets an arrow in each ass cheek: Beware the side effects of Viagra in the Coppola Cinematic Universe.  

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F250

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1 hour ago, C-Man said:

Clad in a leopard blanket, Voight indeed shows off what looks to be an unseemly “boner,” in his own words. It’s revealed to be a miniature bow and arrow, which has fatal consequences for one of his scene partners. The other gets an arrow in each ass cheek: Beware the side effects of Viagra in the Coppola Cinematic Universe.  

giphy.gif?cid=6c09b952t5kg51v5pmq7ogndap

 

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UpperWestside

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This sounds interesting to me. I will go and watch it no matter what the reviews are because that’s just an opinion of the person writing it. I cannot say I watch movies because of who is directing it, but this project seems really important to Coppola so I will go check it out.

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WBT

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Wtf did I just watch?

There's not much of a coherent plot.  Visually, some parts looked cool but there wasn't much consistency and large parts of it just looked washed out and out of focus.  But I think I liked it?

Voight, Aubrey Plaza, and Shia were having a blast at least.

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MrBig

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On 9/27/2024 at 7:49 AM, WBT said:

There's not much of a coherent plot.  Visually, some parts looked cool but there wasn't much consistency and large parts of it just looked washed out and out of focus.  But I think I liked it?

I had this exact same reaction when I saw Showgirls. 

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Hermanator

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"Francis Ford Coppola borrowed over $100 million against his wine business to fund 'Megalopolis.' He's projected to earn less than $10 million back opening weekend."

Article

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Francis Ford Coppola famously self-funded his newest epic "Megalopolis" — but unfortunately, it doesn't seem likely the film auteur will recoup the millions he invested.

"Megalopolis," released Friday in theaters, is currently tracking for a $5 to $7 million debut at the box office, per Variety. It's shockingly low compared to the over $100 million that Coppola reportedly spent on the film. (In a 2022 interview, Coppola said he'd invested $120 million in the project; on Thursday, The Wall Street Journal, citing an unnamed source involved with the film, reported that it was $136 million.)

Coppola is best known for films like "The Godfather," its 1974 sequel, and Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winners "The Conversation" and "Apocalypse Now." "Megalopolis" was a long-gestating project, a sci-fi epic that takes place in a Roman reimagining of New York City.

The film has received extremely mixed reactions from critics, with The Wall Street Journal calling it a "spectacular catastrophe." It's also been plagued by bad press and controversy: There were allegations that Coppola engaged in inappropriate on-set conduct (which Coppola has denied), and distributor Lionsgate pulled a trailer for the film after Vulture reported it contained inaccurate quotes from critics.

 

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LonghornSean

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Baffling is the only word that comes to mind when describing this film.

The tone is inconsistent throughout. The visual style is non-compelling at best, and an orgy of CGI at worst. Story wise, there may be a semblance of a message in the end, but I really didn’t feel it cohesively through the film at all.

I will say I mostly liked Driver’s performance even if the script he was working with was incomprehensible. Aubrey Plaza felt like she was making fun of herself, so she was enjoyable. Similarly, Shia Lebouf was over the top and consistent enough to sell it.

The rest of the performances were laughable. Schwartzman and Hoffman were in this, why??

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UpperWestside

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Left after an hour because the movie was really hard for me personally to comprehend. Perhaps that was the point of it. I am not entirely sure. There are probably folks who can follow the plot better than I could. I really don’t have much bad to say. I just failed to connect with this one. From what I gather I am not alone on that.

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tx 3 putt

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On 10/1/2024 at 10:47 AM, Hermanator said:

"Francis Ford Coppola borrowed over $100 million against his wine business to fund 'Megalopolis.' He's projected to earn less than $10 million back opening weekend."

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epic epic fail here, dumbass

hire some talent to write a godfather 4 and then find a great director 

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safe sex

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On 10/2/2024 at 11:34 PM, LonghornSean said:

Baffling is the only word that comes to mind when describing this film.

The tone is inconsistent throughout. The visual style is non-compelling at best, and an orgy of CGI at worst. Story wise, there may be a semblance of a message in the end, but I really didn’t feel it cohesively through the film at all.

I will say I mostly liked Driver’s performance even if the script he was working with was incomprehensible. Aubrey Plaza felt like she was making fun of herself, so she was enjoyable. Similarly, Shia Lebouf was over the top and consistent enough to sell it.

The rest of the performances were laughable. Schwartzman and Hoffman were in this, why??

Schwartzman is Coppola's nephew

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UpperWestside

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21 hours ago, WBT said:

He's 85 years old.  If this is what he wanted to blow his money on on the way out, good for him

I told this to a guy I work with today. We sell Coppola’s wine where I work and I just kinda shrugged and said much of what you said. This movie connected better with him though. He thought it was all over the map, but that seems to be the point. The best way I described what I saw was what if you made a movie from the perspective of Grandpa Simpson. This is what would be the end result. That’s more/less how it felt to me, which made it hard to follow.

Edited by UpperWestside
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