Monday night, Paramount hosted an early screening of Damien Chazelle’s highly anticipated new film “Babylon,”The Golden Age of Hollywood’s comedic epic is as grandiose and wild as its reactions.
Dec. 23, is the Oscar-winning movie “La La Land” writer-director’s first feature since 2018, and in his own words, his most ambitious project yet. The A-list cast includes “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt and Diego Calva star as co-stars. Among others, Olivia Wilde, Flea and Jean Smart star as well as Spike Jonze and Tobey Maguire. This fictionalized account depicts big dreams and larger debauchery in 1920s Hollywood.
In September, the first trailer was released. The trailer promised entertainment and chaos, with characters narrowly avoiding certain deaths on sets, falling off balconies at extravagant parties, and snorting coke.
And to some extent, critics’ first reactions mirrored that madness, almost universally deeming it a “mess” – both complimentarily and not.
’s Carlos Aguilar captured the anticipation at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, Writing “LA’s hottest club tonight is the first screening of BABYLON. Huge line around the block. Here for Diego Calva’s performance.”
“#Babylon is both a sensational celebration of cinema as an art form and a deeply probing condemnation of the mechanics behind said art form,” Submitted ’s Drew Taylor. “Overflowing with razzamatazz – gorgeous cinematography, costumes, design and full of killer performances.”
Critic Scott Menzel Recognized the film’s ambition, but ultimately called it a “mess.”
“I don’t even know where to begin with this one but the tone is all over the place,” he added, praising Robbie’s efforts but saying that the script “fails her”: “A love letter to cinema that made me hate cinema.”
Yahoo Entertainment’s Kevin Polowy ConfirmedIt was “the strangest, most debaucherous love letter to Hollywood ever,”Point to “a coked-up Margot Robbie projectile vomiting all over the face of a stuffy old man in a tux” as a symbol of the film’s “chaotic energy and glorious messiness.”
Robbie – who plays a young starlet à la Clara Bow and Joan Crawford – as well as Calva and composer Justin Hurwitz were on the receiving end of most of the praise.
Variety’s Clayton Davis, who enjoyed the film’s first half, “Babylon”Is “likely the internet’s new favorite movie of all-time. Margot Robbie and Justin Hurwitz are your stars.”
Deadline’s Destiny Jackson Applauded Calva’s “tender and visceral” acting, adding, “Can’t wait to see him in more stuff.”
Cheat Sheet’s Jeff Nelson had high praise for Chazelle and Hurwitz’s latest collaboration: “Damien Chazelle incorporates his signature musicality and movement throughout,”He Submitted. “Justin Hurwitz’s score is one hell of a wall of sound.”
But not for every Anne Thompson from IndieWire praisingThe film is “great fun,”EW also had a Joshua Rothkopf critiquing itAs “pounding and obvious and, finally, uninsightful.”
“Everything about it is borrowed — even down to Tobey Maguire stealing the film as its Alfred Molina,”He concluded. “A Scorsese coke film by a squeaky clean director.”
For more information, see below. “Babylon.”