Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis' premieres to mixed reviews at Cannes
The script had been ready for decades, the budget was pulled from his own (vast) pocket, and the critics' expectations were huge. Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis" finally had its premiere in Cannes.
The 85-year-old creator of cinematic masterpieces like "The Godfather," "Dracula," and "Apocalypse Now" made us wait quite a few years for his latest film. And that waiting has been worth it, as journalists knew from frequent updates about the scale of his latest work. We’re talking about "Megalopolis."
Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis"
The script for the film was written in the 1980s, considered the period of the director's greatest creativity. However, the grand project was not realized back then due to various reasons, mainly financial. Since then, the concept has been surrounded by legends and speculations. Coppola, however, achieved his goal and made the film.
The film is announced as an epic tale of political ambitions, set in a utopian vision of New York, here called New Rome (aesthetically resembling the grandeur of this city), destroyed by disaster. From this short description alone, one can conclude that this is not some modest film for a mere 40 million pounds. To complete his opus magnum, Coppola reached deep into his pocket for 100 million pounds. However, there is no need to worry about his possible bankruptcy, as the funds came from selling only a part of the rights to the family vineyard.
A significant part of the enormous budget of "Megalopolis" certainly consisted of star salaries. The cast includes names like Adam Driver (whose participation in anything already brings good reviews), Aubrey Plaza (still playing the same character, but with great charm), and Shia LaBeouf, who may redeem himself from recent controversies with this film.
Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis". screening in Cannes
The film had its long-awaited premiere on Thursday evening at the ongoing festival in Cannes. It’s most honest to say that "Megalopolis" divided critics. Some called the film bold and epic, while others found it surprisingly shallow. The author from "The Guardian" even used "mega boring and mega pretentious"! Meanwhile, right after the screening, the audience in tuxedos and evening gowns rose to their feet to applaud the creator and the cast. According to Variety, the ovation lasted seven minutes.
It's hard to predict today whether this was because it is appropriate to honour such a legendary creator approaching 90 for still dedicating his life to cinema passion, or whether "Megalopolis" is truly an outstanding film. Viewers will find out when the film hits wide theatrical distribution.
