I’ve taken to looking in a cosmetic mirror with ten times the magnification before I leave the house, surprisingly before The Substance came out. And most days that way up close and personal is downright frightening.
Likewise, Francis Ford Coppola, took a similar tact when writing the screenplay for Megalopolis because there isn’t a pore of society that goes unseen in this never a dull moment circus of two hours and eighteen minutes.
Without spoiling anything, the film takes on: celebrity worship, autocratic politicians, the question of deplorables or people with unmet needs(?), industry over environment, and love after the death of a spouse.
The cast is star studded and I commend Adam Driver for taking on obscure projects like this (see Annette if you haven’t and don’t feel like leaving the house for Megalopolis). Aubrey Plaza plays a mean gold digger and I mean that figuratively and literally. Shia LeBouf takes my breath away no matter what he does (see Honey Boy if you hate him and I PROMISE you will grow a heart of forgiveness). By the same token, I could watch Jason Schwartzman eat toast which is almost what he does here. Jon Voigt, God Bless Him, appears to be having some old guy glee.
Some critics have whined at what a mess the story is…and sure there’s a few threads that either disappear or aren’t explained, but Coppola’s scope is so wide-Shakespeare, Marcus Aurelius, physics…that there’s bound to be some loose ends.
Coppola shows he cares about the legacy he leaves, and if Megalopolis is it, the theme of which I took away is that we get no where by fighting and everywhere working together, then by jove, he’s a hero.
