Movie Review: Babylon

Hollywood loves to make movies about itself. One of the most notable is "Singin' In The Rain." It chronicles some of the studios' challenges when moving from silent films to "talkies." Why am I bringing up a movie made in 1952 when I am about to review one made in 2022? Those two movies have more in common than you might think.

"Babylon" follows the rise and fall of several people in the late 1920s as they navigate the studios and the change from silent to sound.

I liked this movie a lot, but I can understand why the online discourse for this movie is negative. "Babylon" leans heavily into the excesses of Hollywood right from the start. The opening scene is a massive, lavish party with alcohol, drugs, sex, and an elephant. That scene is non-stop, loud, frenetic, and a little exhausting. I was worried that this would be how the entire three hours and nine minutes would feel, but it did find time to slow down. As I watched this opening scene, I understood that this might be where much negativity begins. A large chunk of the movie has this feeling, and there are quick cuts between actions.

I do feel that some of the character's stories are not as satisfying or fleshed-out, particularly when it comes to Sidney Palmer (Javon Adepo) and Lady Fye Zhu (Li Jun Li). They are the only main characters of color, and there was potential to explore what this time was like for them, but the story doesn't give them the same development it does to Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) and Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie).

These are the two characters that mirror Gene Kelly and Jean Hagen from "Singin' In The Rain." All four of these characters struggle to transition to "talkies." Like Don before him, Jack has a hard time being taken seriously as an actor when he speaks lines in his films. Nellie might be a better actress than Lena Lamont, but both face criticism of their speaking voices and are not seen as sophisticated. Pitt and Robbie are excellent in their respective roles; Pitt is the washed-up movie star, and Robbie is the bright-eyed starlet.

"Babylon" feels like director Damien Chezelle's blank-check movie. He made movies like "Whiplash" and won Oscars for "La La Land," so he earned a lot of goodwill from the studios. Sadly, this movie is not doing well at the box office. I do not see it as the death of anyone's career, but it will make it harder for Chezelle to make his next movie.

I hope three-hour-plus movies do not become the norm. It's a long time to be sitting in a dark theater. It is full of amazing, frantic sequences that indulge in the excesses of Hollywood. I understand how many might not like this movie, but I had a blast.

8/10

Rated R for strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity, bloody violence, drug use, and pervasive language.

3hrs. 9min.