Judging by some of the reactions gathered from last night’s screening of Chazelle’s “Babylon,” this is going to be the writer-director’s go-for-broke epic. Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” was mentioned more than a few times, ditto Fellini’s “Satyricon.” The film, which clocks in at 185 minutes, is said to take place between 1925 and 1952, tackling Hollywood’s wobbly transition from the silent era to sound. Margot Robbie’s performance as Clara Bow is said to be the big takeaway & a likely Best Actress contender. Jean Smart also registered major points as a showbiz journalist who helps Bow learn to act with spoken words. I won’t say more about the film, but that it does pull off the kind of surprising opening credits that would make Hamaguchi blush, not to mention its shades of “Eyes Wide Shut” orgy debauchery. I’m telling you, this is Chazelle swinging for the fences and trying to rile up the dead horse that is American cinema’s current state. I can’t wait for this one. Contribute Hire me
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