The opening scenes of 'Babylon' show an orgiastic party during Hollywood's period of excess just prior to the arrival of the 'talkies'. Amidst the debauchery, Mexican studio gofer Manny spots starlet Nellie and falls in love, and writer/director Chazelle uses their tepid romance as an intermittent thread running through this marathon movieland saga.
From the outset the film dispels any notion that old Hollywood was all glamor, with episodes depicting an incontinent elephant and Fatty Arbuckle receiving a golden shower, followed by a display of projectile vomiting from Nellie. The movie then busies itself portraying some real-life Hollywood scandals mingled with invented ones. The love affair fizzles like a damp squib just as it did in Cazelle's previous big success 'La La Land' - Margot Robbie wears out her welcome with over-acted tantrums and meltdowns, while Diego Calva as her suitor Manny is limited to expressions of unrequited longing. Providing some relief from the histrionics, Brad Pitt does contribute a nuanced turn as a silent star confronting his fading career, but everything else is immediately forgettable. After a procession of flashy set pieces, none of which accomplish much story or character development, the curtain mercifully falls after three long hours.
From the outset the film dispels any notion that old Hollywood was all glamor, with episodes depicting an incontinent elephant and Fatty Arbuckle receiving a golden shower, followed by a display of projectile vomiting from Nellie. The movie then busies itself portraying some real-life Hollywood scandals mingled with invented ones. The love affair fizzles like a damp squib just as it did in Cazelle's previous big success 'La La Land' - Margot Robbie wears out her welcome with over-acted tantrums and meltdowns, while Diego Calva as her suitor Manny is limited to expressions of unrequited longing. Providing some relief from the histrionics, Brad Pitt does contribute a nuanced turn as a silent star confronting his fading career, but everything else is immediately forgettable. After a procession of flashy set pieces, none of which accomplish much story or character development, the curtain mercifully falls after three long hours.