REVIEW: BABYLON

3.5/5

Once Upon A Time...In La La Land. 

189 Mins. Starring: Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Lukas Haas, Max Minghella, Katherine Waterston, Samara Weaving, Jeff Garlin, Eric Roberts, Ethan Suplee, Flea, Spike Jonze & Tobey Maguire. Director: Damien Chazelle. 

Debauched hearts run fun and fancy-free. The opening of 'Babylon' is a zoo...literally. Like fire-water for elephants. In one hell of a roaring 20s, Gatsby-era party in the Hollywood Hills. Something that makes the caves of that crazy, tribal dance of 'The Matrix' look like one of those house parties where no one shows up. This is more skin akin to something Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams stumbled upon during the second season of HBO's 'True Detective'. Once upon a time, 'La La Land' director Damien Chazelle was pipped to the Oscars envelope by a marvellous 'Moonlight'. Now mixing that song and dance, with 'First Man' realism, reuniting two '...In Hollywood' stars he gives us the Tinseltown land in all its gaudy excess for 'Babylon'. 

By the gates of God, making it in Hollywood does not give you an eternal key to the city, but rather the receding spotlight of a town owned by producers and journalists all looking to take their cut, whilst the most celebrated faces in the world line up for cocaine and a hit of their demise. The true world powers behind the scenes exiling these characters from their blessing, for all their worth on celluloid. Not dismissing the oppressive, cynicism seems to be Chazelle's poison with contempt. A lovely David Gray song, this is not. Instead, the grey skies and dark clouds for those who say it never rains in Southern California. Maybe Chazelle still feels cut by the wrong envelope as 'La La Land' was originally read as Best Picture and star Ryan Gosling's cheeky smirk. Or maybe Damien is just showing the devils of an industry with lights so bright they could burn you. 

This 'Babylon' still offers you an outstanding, orchestrated look at the true labour of love (and other drugs) that it took to make movies back in the twenties, no green screen. Figure in that with a tacked-on, but terrific tribute to the history of cinema that we see today, and this movie is still a love letter to the industry. Albeit one from a jilted lover. A heartbroken and fading leading man Brad Pitt (not in real life, merely here), looking like the classic Hollywood actor he is and the Hollywoodland one he would have been like friend Clooney, wonders and asks for more. Because, searching for a higher power amongst all that booze and a divorce from a classic cameo, that's what the audience who spared their hard worn nickels and dimes deserve. Doing the heavy lifting, the 'Bullet Train', still runaway megastar has more than a point, despite The Academy missing it with(out) their nomination in post. Even if 'The Artist' is in for a reckoning now the silent era is over, and he is forced to find his voice. 

Talkies are for cheap and in this compelling, classic cinematography, sometimes this movie looks like 'West Side Story' (the original one), other times it plays to that musical's tragic themes. Screen superstar Margot Robbie, about to have her 'Barbie' moment in an already captivating career that keeps reinventing and defining itself, is exactly the focal point 'Babylon' needs in the sheer form of her powerful presence. Forget the cocktail dress. That what gets bums in seats. It's what's under the skin that shows she's the most compelling, multi-talented actress of big budget and indies alike since shades of Scarlett. But much like her fall fellow, Academy avoiding 'Amsterdam' picture with another definitive director (David O. Russell), this hard to earn Hollywood movie is as long and over-wrought as the life and times of the characters on-screen who twist and turn like the hills. Free-falling like Alana Haim backing a big-wheel down them for a slice of 'Licorice Pizza'. 

Diego Calva is the name to remember in this epic ensemble. The 'Narcos: Mexico' star has a Golden Globe nomination for his troubles and between two of the biggest names and faces of La La Land, he stands out and holds his own. Just like hypnotizing new 'Exorcist' and 'Wu Assassins' star Li Jun Li and fantastic 'Fences' and Stephen King 'The Stand' actor Jovan Adepo. Justice for those forgotten in 'La La Land', he refuses to be an afterthought here. Blowing the trumpet of his talent despite a heartbreaking, sickening scene that reminds you of the time Nat King Cole was disgustingly made to apply white make-up before a show. The times we lived in and sadly still do. The shame and the pain. We can't begin to understand just how deep it runs.

Jean Smart's genius gossip journalist looks to take the rags to the riches of integrity ad the dream that is Jean continues her career headlines. Whilst 'Inception', 'Lincoln' and 'The Revenant' character actor Lukas Haas will break your heart in a film filled with familiar faces. Max Minghella and Katherine Waterston show up for small, but significant roles. Samara Weaving plays on that Margot Robbie lookalike angle. And a five o'clock shadowed Jeff Garlin seems to be running with that 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' film-producer joke. Add Spike Jonze as a glorious German director, Eric Roberts fighting a snake and a Flea and this movie is red-hot with stars. Especially with a classic cameo from 'Spider-Man' himself (or at least one of them, but who's pointing?), Tobey Maguire. Getting his yellow teeth into some nefarious dens, with Ethan Suplee, who continues to show he's straight-scary now he's dropped the 'My Name Is Earl' best friend act. 

This is when the film truly loses the plot. But in some ways you're rewarded with something to take home after running with this for a 'Titanic' runtime to its endgame. The way of being waterlogged in an auditorium where the main title-card doesn't hang for at least a good hungover, half hour in. This box-office bomb may not have made much of a sound, but like Pitt's character concerned with cinema churning out the same crap, at least to its credit, 'Babylon' is different. And that's something worth singin' in the rain about, now we're happy in theatres again. What a glorious feeling. TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Further Filming: 'Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood', 'La La Land', 'Amsterdam'.