1010: Babylon (Comedy, Drama, History) (review)

100:00:00,250 --> 00:00:07,310Sodom and Gamora might be a more appropriate title for a film all about excess and depravity.200:00:08,610 --> 00:00:12,240This is movies first with Alex first.300:00:12,610 --> 00:00:18,746Babylon charts Hollywood's golden age and the transition from the silent era to talkies.400:00:18,938 --> 00:00:31,334It does so primarily through the eyes of a bona fidey star a girl from the wrong side of the track's intent on making it, a lowly errand boy who gets an unexpected break.500:00:31,532 --> 00:00:38,078A proud, shameless and talented lesbian and an African American jazz trumpeter.600:00:38,274 --> 00:00:43,098Babylon is wild and audacious and makes no apologies for being so.700:00:43,264 --> 00:00:45,900The film starts in 1926.800:00:46,270 --> 00:00:56,062A Mexican born worker, Manny Torres Diego Calver, is being paid to get an elephant to a sought after Hollywood party that still occur that night.900:00:56,196 --> 00:00:59,898It's an event where debauchery is the stock in trade.1000:01:00,074 --> 00:01:06,530The biggest star attending is Jack Conrad Brad Pitt, who isn't seeing eye to eye with his wife.1100:01:06,870 --> 00:01:11,246A gate crasher at the function is Nellie Leroy Margot Robbie.1200:01:11,358 --> 00:01:14,510She's big on life, drugs and gambling.1300:01:14,670 --> 00:01:19,206Torres is immediately besotted and sees that she's let in.1400:01:19,388 --> 00:01:24,054He soon realizes that the pair has a common goal, namely, to make it.1500:01:24,092 --> 00:01:26,918In the film industry, both get their chance.1600:01:27,004 --> 00:01:35,978Although what they confront is eye opening, the advent of sound forever changes the dynamic, and adapting to it is far from certain.1700:01:36,144 --> 00:01:43,470So it is that the careers of some of Hollywood's biggest silent era stars and starlets came to a shuddering halt.1800:01:43,890 --> 00:01:51,054Conrad is sidelined, while Leroy's porn shore for the punt and illicit substances is an increasing problem.1900:01:51,252 --> 00:01:57,090It's left to Torres to try to pick up the pieces which sees him walk into a viper's nest.2000:01:57,510 --> 00:02:00,622Babylon certainly leaves an indelible impression.2100:02:00,686 --> 00:02:02,846In short, it's unforgettable.2200:02:03,038 --> 00:02:09,394Another recent release, Triangle of Sadness, sparked controversy with an elongated vomit sequence.2300:02:09,522 --> 00:02:13,810That's a walk in the park compared to some of the scenes in Babylon.2400:02:13,970 --> 00:02:16,226The picture is colorful and lavish.2500:02:16,338 --> 00:02:25,350Cinematography is by Sharon Meyer and production design by Melanie Paziz Jones with a memorable score from Justin Hurwitz.2600:02:25,430 --> 00:02:38,746He worked with the writer and director Damien Chazelle on First Man, Lala Land and Whiplash Chiselle is clearly set out to shock with his graphic and ongoing representation of extreme behavior.2700:02:38,938 --> 00:02:42,654The elongated opening night party is a case in point.2800:02:42,772 --> 00:02:46,722It's fast paced and unrelenting and hits you like a freight train.2900:02:46,856 --> 00:02:50,258So much so that I found myself thinking, Enough already.3000:02:50,424 --> 00:02:56,526But that, of course, was the whole point to highlight over indulgence and the consequences thereof.3100:02:56,718 --> 00:03:02,600I greatly appreciated the wicked humor in Babylon, which Chiselle exploits to full effect.3200:03:03,050 --> 00:03:12,422Margot Robbie is sensational as Nelly Leroy, a pretty girl with a bare bones existence and addiction issues, but plenty of gumption.3300:03:12,566 --> 00:03:20,166She enters the fray like a whirlwind, a force of nature reminiscent of her roles in Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey.3400:03:20,278 --> 00:03:22,810Full on with no off valve.3500:03:22,970 --> 00:03:28,080There's no question that the film would have been far poorer without her drive and energy.3600:03:28,450 --> 00:03:37,838White eyed Diego calva is Leroy's antithesis as Manny Torres, a man who quietly goes about his business without putting noses out of joint.3700:03:37,934 --> 00:03:43,486He plays an important role in the movie, which gains traction as events unfold.3800:03:43,678 --> 00:03:52,178Brad Pitt steps effortlessly into the persona of leading figure Jack Conrad, who has the world at his feet until he doesn't.3900:03:52,354 --> 00:03:56,310There's both revelry and sadness about his characterization.4000:03:56,890 --> 00:04:00,130I enjoyed Babylon more and more as it developed.4100:04:00,290 --> 00:04:10,326There's a decent case to be made for the film to have been wrapped up earlier than it was, namely a scene in which the key character, Nellie Leroy, walks off into the darkness.4200:04:10,518 --> 00:04:17,786That would have left it open to us, the audience, to form our own conclusion about what happens to her and Manny Torres.4300:04:17,978 --> 00:04:24,098Regardless, Babylon left me excited and enthusiastic about what was presented on the big screen.4400:04:24,264 --> 00:04:26,670I found that patience was rewarded.4500:04:26,830 --> 00:04:36,030It's undoubtedly a bold offering which sets out to poke and prod and ultimately explode the fairy tale around the Hollywood dream factory.4600:04:36,190 --> 00:04:40,482It definitely succeeds in doing so of attraction to film buffs.4700:04:40,546 --> 00:04:49,702I dare say Babylon's extended running time 3 hours and 9 minutes, and treatment of the subject matter will have limited appeal to the mass market.4800:04:49,836 --> 00:04:53,190It scores an eight and a half out of ten.4900:04:53,340 --> 00:04:56,434You've been listening to movies first with Alex.5000:04:56,482 --> 00:04:59,250First available at Apple podcasts.5100:04:59,330 --> 00:04:59,962Google podcast.5200:04:59,986 --> 00:05:04,762Podcasts spotify iHeartRadio or your favorite podcast player.5300:05:04,826 --> 00:05:07,806You can also stream on Demand@bites.com.5400:05:07,908 --> 00:05:11,740This has been another quality podcast production from Bites.com.