The first half of "Babylon" - the decadent and completely over-the-top Hollywood epic of screenwriter-director Damien Chazelle ("La La Land"), which lasts just over three hours - tickles perfection.
In a dizzying cluster of virtuosic, immersive and superbly orchestrated sequences, Chazelle focuses his restless camera on a handful of characters seeking their fortunes in the film industry, just before the end of the silent film era.
The result is impressive, spectacular and delightful in levels.
Among other things, viewers meet Manuel (Diego Calva), a junior production worker from Mexico;
Nellie (the excellent Margot Robbie), an unknown actress who dreams of becoming a huge star;
Jack (also excellent Brad Pitt), a famous and charming actor who changes women like socks;
Sidney (Juban Edfo), the black trumpeter;
Lady Faye (Lee Jun Lee), the seductive singer from the Far East, and more.
There are also some less successful choices.
from the movie,
In the first half hour of the film, all of the aforementioned guys hang out at a flamboyant and sinful party that takes place in the isolated mansion of a successful producer, while the next morning they all meet on a huge and chaotic photo set where about half a dozen films are shot at the same time.
Chazelle, who doesn't take his foot off the pedal for a moment, is at his best in these parts, and with the help of rhythmic and precise editing and great music (signed by his regular partner, Justin Horvitz), he manages to build a tremendous and rare momentum, which reminds us why we love cinema so much.
Unfortunately, the second half of "Babylon" - which is mainly devoted to the slow and painful process of the fall of its characters, after the transition to films with sound - does not compare to the first half.
Chazelle's script takes a few less successful turns, the momentum falters and the film becomes muddled and significantly weakened.
However, despite the fact that the third act of the film contains quite a few problems, and despite the fact that Chazelle does not really manage to reach the level of the masterpieces that fuel his ambitious and pretentious artistic vision, you will not find a scarce moment in "Babylon" and it is really difficult not to derive pleasure from the grandiose mayhem that takes place throughout The time on the screen (assuming you don't have a problem with three-hour movies or aversion to movies that contain large amounts of various bodily secretions, of course).
Overall I really liked it.
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