Megalopolis: The Godfather Director's Baffling Live-Action Cinema Experiment

As the red carpet rolled out like a long-lost invitation to the land of misplaced dreams, Jon Voight and a parade of stars graced Grauman’s Chinese Theatre for the much-anticipated screening of *Megalopolis*. It started, as it often does, with a live-stream interview featuring none other than the iconic Francis Ford Coppola, the cinematic wizard behind *The Godfather* and *Apocalypse Now*. And let me tell you, calling *Megalopolis* merely baffling would be an understatement; it’s more like a convoluted maze of ideas that seems to loop back on itself in ways that would leave even the great Ariadne scratching her head.

So, picture this: *Megalopolis* is set in an alternate 21st century that boasts a rebranded New York, now dubbed New Rome, and aims to loosely fiddle with the plot of the Catilinarian conspiracy of 63 BC. Yes, that’s right, like we all needed another film about attempted coups that somehow involves more CGI than a Saturday morning cartoon. Adam Driver leads this eccentric charge, gracing the screen as Caesar Catilina—an architect with grand designs, battling a corruption-laden Giancarlo Esposito as the mayor, Franklyn Cicero. Trust me, it's all as coherent as a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces.

Reportedly, during Cannes, viewers were treated to a peculiar segment where a live actor meandered onto the screen—literally. He set up a microphone, chatted with a video of Driver, and then just wandered off. It felt like a moment pulled from the mind of a surrealist after a few too many espressos. Sure, it was a first for Hollywood—and we all know how groundbreaking that can be—but it also added to the meandering chaos that left many of us flabbergasted.

In this cinematic whirlpool that marries the surreal meanderings of Yorgos Lanthimos with David Lynch’s less lucid moments, one can’t help but wonder what exactly Coppola was aiming for. It's a Shakespearean *Blade Runner*, but somewhere along the line, someone switched the drinking fountain for a funhouse mirror. You know it's bad when you find yourself yearning for a character with a semblance of sanity to lock eyes with amid the frenzy of the elaborate costumes and unnecessary visual chaos.

Aubrey Plaza, Nathalie Emmanuel, Shia LaBeouf, Laurence Fishburne, and yes, the grand Dustin Hoffman are all here, acting their hearts out in what can only be described as a beautifully bizarre tableau that might just be the most confusing Shakespearean soup you’ve ever inhaled. And yet, isn't it fascinating how *Megalopolis* manages to be the darling of cinephile discussions for years to come, despite—or perhaps because of—its perplexing disappointments?

Coppola, bless his iconic heart, has been nurturing this passion project for decades. Yet, selling off a slice of his California winery to fund this $120 million sci-fi drama feels less like a wise investment and more like a caper gone awry at a very posh art school. Maybe if he’d entrusted the reins to an auteur with a sharper vision, like Denis Villeneuve, we might have been treated to something more substantial rather than a beautifully crafted, albeit pretentious, student art film.

All said and done, *Megalopolis* (mark your calendars for September 27, 2024) is a reminder that ambition in filmmaking runs wild sometimes, but that doesn’t always guarantee clarity or coherence. Prepare for those inevitable cult screenings in smoky, underground cinemas, because while the visuals may tire, the discussions about this enigmatic adventure will undoubtedly flourish in years to come.