Susan Granger’s review of “Megalopolis” (Lionsgate/American Zoetrope)
Francis Ford Coppola’s passion project “Megalopolis” is a futuristic fable about the downfall of the American Empire.
The 85 year-old auteur envisioned the dystopian concept 40 years ago, writing, revising and re-casting it, spending $120 million to make it, using funds he’d made from “Apocalypse Now,” “The Godfather,” etc. and his California wine business.
Adam Driver stars as Cesar Catilina, a visionary architect who dreams of utilizing a miraculous material called Megalon to build an experimental Utopia from the ruins of New Rome (obviously allegorical New York City, since the familiar Chrysler Building is an Art Deco centerpiece).
But Cesar must convince corrupt Mayor Franklin Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) whose rebellious daughter Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel) he’s dating. And face ‘concrete’ opposition from Nush Berman (Dustin Hoffman) – as explained by narrator Fundi Romaine (Laurence Fisbburne).
Inexplicably, Cesar has the ability to freeze everything and everyone in place by ordering: “Stop, time!” But that’s the limit of his supernatural powers.
According to Coppola, who consulted with “S.P.Q.R: A History of Ancient Rome” historian Mary Beard, Cesar’s turbulent coup can be traced back to Rome’s Catilinarian conspiracy of 63 B.C.
Lecherous old Hamilton Crassus III (Jon Voight) represents greed, while his duplicitous grandson Clodio (Shia LaBoeuf) epitomizes ambition – as the inherent debauchery is caustically chronicled by financial reporter Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza) on her “Money Bunny” TV show.
Archaic references to the fall of Rome are everywhere, along with Shakespearean dialogue, peppered with quotes from Greek/Roman/Sapphic poets. Driver even delivers Hamlet’s famous “To be or not to be…” soliloquy in its entirety.
Filmed in Atlanta, whatever credit there is goes to cinematographer Mihai Malaimare, Jr., who creates some indelible CGI imagery.
The film is dedicated to his wife, documentarian Eleanor Coppola, who died in April, 2024, and indulgently features several other Coppola family members, including his sister, Talia Shire, and nephews Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola. Only Nicolas Cage escaped.
On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Megalopolis” is an illogical, incoherent 2 – playing in theaters.
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