There are films that mark us more than others. This is the case with Damien Chazelle’s latest film. With babylonthe director takes us by the hand and makes us dance for three hours in the heart of the golden age of Hollywood.
Starting tomorrow, Wednesday January 18, the director invites you on a tumultuous journey through the film industry. Take out your most beautiful flashy outfits, we give you our review of babylon on a silver platter.
Once upon a time in Hollywood…
We are in Los Angeles in 1926. Silent cinema is at its height and Hollywood is depraved. All excesses are allowed, as long as you have the means and the status. Thereby, babylon opens with the preparations for a grand party, the highlight of the show being the presence of an elephant. The foundations are laid, welcome to Hollywood!
This completely crazy universe, many want to make a place for themselves. But it is far from an easy thing. babylon takes us to meet three characters with closely linked destinies.
Margot Robbie plays Nelly LaRoy, a sassy young woman who dreams of shining in the spotlight, convinced that she was born for it. Unsurprisingly, she is stunning. If his character is much more complex than it seems, we could blame this side “Manic Pixie Dream Girl”. A female character who is a little “crazy” and out of the box who overwhelms and fascinates the (male) hero. Good. At her peak, the actress proves, once again, that she is much more than a physique.
For his part, Brad Pitt gives life to Jack Conrad, a renowned actor well established in the Hollywood landscape. Both funny, biting and with a veil of emotions, Brad Pitt excels once again in a role that seems cut out for him.
Finally, Diego Calva plays Manny Torres, who dreams of something “more than big” and a life behind the cameras. The Mexican actor stands out as the revelation of the film. Climbing the ranks one by one, losing the sparkle in his eyes over the years, the character of Manny Torres is probably one of the most interesting of babylon.
As we’re in the midst of a pivotal era for cinema, these three characters would cross paths many times over a decade. Each of the heroes of babylon will have to adapt in an industry in full upheaval.
With the arrival of talkies, they will either have to seize an opportunity to climb the ladder or avoid precipitating their fall. Other major characters will cross their paths, such as the musician Sidney Palmer (Jovan Adepo), the journalist Elinor St. John (Jean Smart) or the mysterious Lady Fay Zhu (Li Jun Li).
“Life is a party !”
babylon also offers us a raw vision of “Roaring Twenties” and the Golden Age of Hollywood. On the program: debauchery, luxury and lust. Damien Chazelle sublimates the vulgar and the “dirty” in a film where he has decided to dare for the greatest pleasure of the spectator. babylonit is a bit the result of the meeting between Gatsby the magnificent and The wolf of Wall Street. Nelly LaRoy claims that “life is a party” several times… And what a party!
As extravagant as it is grandiloquent, babylon hides a less frivolous tone behind this layer of glitter. The protagonists and their respective destinies are touching and make you want to dig into their past to better understand their moods. Sometimes overwhelmed by something bigger than themselves, bigger than anything, the characters are crushed by changing times, evolving mores and silent cinema which disappears in favor of talkies.
© Paramount Pictures
During the three hours of film, the viewer must hold on so as not to let himself be overwhelmed by all his emotions. We laugh, we cry, we marvel, we grimace, we get annoyed, we rejoice, we stress… interesting writing and sensational acting.
The strong emotions are reinforced by an intense and amazing plot. After more than two hours punctuated by a collective euphoria, the director takes the tangent, adopting a harder and deeper tone as the end clap approaches. A final, moreover, sensational, which is like a real fireworks of emotions and leaves us speechless.
The soundtrack, the other protagonist of Babylon
What would a Damien Chazelle film be without a sparkling soundtrack? As always, the director calls on Justin Hurwitz who has already accompanied him on La La Land as well as whiplash. If you liked the soundtrack of these two films, you will love babylon.
Once again, the composer takes melodies from old feature films and reworks them for this new project. Fans will have, in particular, recognized snippets of Someone in the crowd arranged in an instrumental jazz version for the occasion. Jazz which is also omnipresent throughout the film, and the works of Damien Chazelle. Protagonist in its own right, the soundtrack of babylon fills the ears. So much so that Justin Hurwitz received his fourth Golden Globe thanks to her. For fans, it is already available on streaming platforms… Just to make the pleasure last!
© Paramount Pictures
Verdict: Babylon has won our hearts
Both a critic and a true love letter to Hollywood, babylon is a fantastic and infernal whirlwind. It stands out as the film of this beginning of the year and will certainly mark 2023.
Like a precise conductor, Damien Chazelle gives us a concert of emotions with this new feature film. Extravagant and poignant, babylon is based on a mastered score. After three hours of film (or the equivalent of decades in the golden age of Hollywood), the return to reality has the effect of a bad trip.
