Babylon

Um filme opulento e narrativo, que reflete histórias selvagemente extáticas e tragicamente tristes de estrelas de cinema cujos sonhos e certezas de vida se dissiparam quando o interesse nas mesmas desapareceu. O retorno aos anos 20 do século passado, durante o advento do cinema sonoro, não serve apenas para expressar amor pelos filmes em si, mas também para uma crítica excecionalmente severa a Hollywood como uma fábrica construída na opressão e violação dos direitos humanos. Este filme hipnotizante alterna géneros de acordo com o estado de espírito predominante dos personagens - o primeiro terço é um sonho mágico e exuberante de drogas, o segundo terço é mais uma comédia e o resto dirige-se ao drama com elementos criminais. Embora o filme como um todo possa não parecer completamente coeso e desde o início esteja na fronteira de um excesso exagerado, as suas partes individuais são na maioria dos casos dirigidas de forma magistral. No entanto, ao longo de todo o filme, é principalmente uma excursão estilizada e exagerada aos bastidores do cinema, que nos lembra que muitos dos filmes que amamos e admiramos foram feitos em meio à injustiça, sangue, suor, vómito e excrementos. (04/01/2024)

Uma apresentação subjetivamente irrelevante e esteticamente não complexa do início de Hollywood com personagens principais muitas vezes vistas (Brad Pitt), desinteressantes (Diego Calva) e irritantes (Margot Robbie). Chazelle exagerou. Se não fosse pelos interlúdios de jazz que o acompanham, você nem sequer o reconheceria nisto. As festas selvagens e as filmagens agitadas são divertidas, mas já se pode sentir uma teatralidade artificial nelas. A cena da filmagem da primeira cena sonora do filme é o melhor de todo o filme, tanto na sua dimensão de ponto de partida como cinéfila. Mas uma vez que a duração demasiado longa se transforma num lamento fatal sobre a incapacidade de seguir o progresso, vai gradualmente descendo até «LA shit hole» ou seja, a cena mais WTF do filme. (06/03/2023)

Babylon can make a very impressive first impression. Within the opening thirty minutes, Damien Chazelle serves up physical humour that even Dumb and Dumber would be proud of and a wild orgy of fun filled with sex, cocaine, alcohol, loud music and plenty of reasons for anyone who despises Hollywood to despise it even more. The Wolf of Wall Street would probably walk away from this party disgusted halfway through. But this is where we meet several protagonists who will spend the next few years trying to carve out a little fame, fortune, wealth or respect in Hollywood. And far from all of them succeed. Babylon looks like a grand Luhrmann-type film at first glance, but it's only superficial. Chazelle knows very well how to make the viewer admire his depiction of Hollywood in the 1920s and 30s on the one hand and despise it on the other. He knows how to make his characters laugh, but at the same time make the viewer worry about them, wish them luck or watch their slow, unavoidable fall. And while it looks truly spectacular – not only during the lavish parties, but even during the actual filming of one small scene, which the director manages to turn into an absurd grotesque – at its core this epic drama is actually a rather intimate story of people who have been "there" for a while, had a chance to create dreams and didn't notice that their own lives were turning into a nightmare. Great film. (05/01/2023)

I needed some time to process Babylon. After getting home from the cinema, I had to unwind, sleep, dream some nice movie dreams (which I did), wake up, take a walk through the frosty landscape to work, and take a deep breath to fully grasp what I had witnessed. Babylon is an impressive film. It tells the story of Hollywood’s silent era through the lives of three different characters, with Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Diego Calva delivering stellar performances. While Pitt and Robbie push emotional boundaries, Calva, as a newcomer, is a revelation. These three stories weave together, exploring a film era that holds a special place under the sun. The opening half-hour prologue sets the tone. The camera pans through a house party hosted by a studio mogul, showcasing pure, unfiltered decadence. You’ll wish you had more than two eyes to capture everything happening on screen. After this wild intro, the main story unfolds, diving into period Hollywood and referencing various personalities of the time. Each scene offers something new and unexpected. The film is bolstered by a fantastic score that sometimes borrows from La La Land, which I didn’t mind at all, and humor that had me in stitches. The second act turns significantly darker, leading to a finale that is a true cinematic orgasm. Witnessing the premiere was an incredible experience, and I think Babylon will resonate with me for a long time. (19/01/2023)

I guess I'm too old for this kind of conceptually and dramaturgically disjointed and incoherent films, where nothing works and the mess on the screen slaps you so hard that you're completely numb and tired at the end. The only thing that works a little bit is the references to old classics, but these days they can emotionally enrich you incomparably more and they only need half the running time. This looks like it wasn't even made by Damien Chazelle, but by some egomaniac who merely needed to propel himself over his supposed genius. The production design and music are top notch, the should by shat on elephant shit and flushed. (06/09/2023)