The first Twitter reviews from critics of acclaimed filmmaker Damien Chazelle’s Babylon appear to be a mixture of both praise and disappointment, primarily with regard to the film’s storytelling. Besides Margot Robbie, Babylon stars Brad Pitt and Diego Calva in the lead roles.
The movie is set in Hollywood of the 1920s, during a time when the industry was moving away from silent films towards talkies.
Here are all the details about Babylon
The first trailer of Babylon was released on 13 September. It was widely appreciated by viewers on social media who lauded Robbie’s performance.
From drug-fuelled nights and outrageous dares to wild parties and vintage fast cars, the trailer captured a slice of the hedonism of the then-Hollywood and presented it in a thrilling manner backed by the era’s popular jazz music.
Other prominent stars in the film include Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Jean Smart, Samara Weaving, Katherine Waterston and Tobey Maguire.
Critics watch film at special screening
The film was previously set for a limited release on 25 December 2022, followed by a wider release on 6 January 2023. It will now premiere across theatres on 23 December 2022.
But some movie critics got the first opportunity to see the film at special screenings in the US in mid-November.
While a few of them agree Babylon is indeed a fantastic piece of work from the Academy Award-winning Chazelle, others felt it went overboard with its depictions of loftiness and glamour.
However, all critics are unanimous in their praise for Robbie, who, they say, triumphs in her role. This also implies that the Australian actress can be seen as a strong contender for an Academy Award nomination in 2023, which, if she gets the nod, would be the third in her career after I, Tonya (2018) and Bombshell (2020).
The film’s composer, Justin Hurwitz, has been praised as well. Hurwitz is an Academy Award-winning composer and is known for his longtime collaboration with Chazelle. He has worked on films such as Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009), Whiplash (2014), La La Land (2016) and First Man (2018) — all of which were directed by Chazelle.
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Babylon Review: What critics are saying on Twitter
Some found the film “dazzling,” “epic” and “high-octane.”
That indescribable feeling we get when the lights begin to dim and an elephant shits directly into the camera lens. Not just entertained, but somehow reborn together. Dazzling images of someone getting a golden shower. Sound that I can feel.
— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) November 15, 2022
#Babylon/#BabylonMovie is a daring Hollywood epic that utterly shocks the senses. Margot Robbie and Diego Calva give huge performances. Damien Chazelle incorporates his signature musicality and movement throughout. Justin Hurwitz’s score is one hell of a wall of sound. pic.twitter.com/RTlL9WhaKa
— Jeff Nelson (@SirJeffNelson) November 15, 2022
Damien Chazelle’s #BabylonMovie is a dazzling, dizzying cacophony of demented depravity. ❤️d! A rebellious, outrageous portrait of golden-era hedonistic Hollywood. Margot Robbie is a live wire. Diego Calva is sensational. Awe-inducing costume & production design. pic.twitter.com/tzDRZgMKvN
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) November 15, 2022
#Babylon feels like if someone read Damien Chazelle the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and then he said, “hold my beer!”
High octane, cocaine-inducing trip. First half is great. Likely the internet’s new favorite movie of all-time. Margot Robbie and Justin Hurwitz are your stars. pic.twitter.com/aM3rru1so0— Clayton Davis – Stand with 🇺🇦 (@ByClaytonDavis) November 15, 2022
#BabylonMovie is insane, like a deranged lovechild of La La Land and The Wolf of Wall Street, full of awful but talented, endlessly watchable characters. It’s both a celebration and a condemnation. Damien Chazelle is a master of sequences and building each one to a crescendo. pic.twitter.com/5eoJDyVUSv
— kevin l. lee (@Klee_FilmReview) November 16, 2022
“Babylon” is like something Damien Chazelle dreamed after a triple feature of “Boogie Nights,” “Fellini Satyricon” and “Singin’ in the Rain” — and I mean that in the very best way. Excessive, epic, eccentric and consistently entertaining. #BabylonMovie
— Stephen Whitty (@StephenWhitty) November 17, 2022
Just watched #Babylon – definitely Damien Chazelle’s most ambitious film. A BIG sprawling spectacle that is at times utterly chaotic & unhinged, but also intimate & introspective. So many incredible shots in this. When it moves, it MOVES. Your heart races. I love that about it pic.twitter.com/0qgxN3P5wV
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) November 17, 2022
On the other hand, criticism of the movie centred on the script and the overall “mess.”
Babylon is an ambitious mess of a film. I don’t even know where to begin with this one but the tone is all over the place. Margot Robbie tries but the script fails her. A love letter to cinema that made me hate cinema. #BabylonMovie pic.twitter.com/BnKQiOz2Zd
— Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) November 15, 2022
I truly wanted to love #BabylonMovie but for every scene that I liked there were like 4-5 scenes that followed that I despised. The actors really did try to elevate the material but it’s just a tonal mess that had me checking how much time was left repeatedly throughout.
— Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) November 15, 2022
Damien Chazelle brings buckets of energy to BABYLON, but it’s never not pounding and obvious and, finally, uninsightful. Everything about it is borrowed — even down to Tobey Maguire stealing the film as its Alfred Molina. A Scorsese coke film by a squeaky clean director.
— Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf) November 15, 2022
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(Main and Featured images: Babylon/@babylonmovie/Twitter)
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia India
