Brilliance or disaster? Babylon had its first trade press screening last night at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles, and early reactions to Damien Chazelle’s fourth feature were polarized, to say the least.
The most recent film from the director of whiplash (2014), La La Land (2016) and The first man on the moon (2018) is a period comedy that documents the excesses of Hollywood’s golden age. A riotous, old-school epic for which the Oscar-winning filmmaker drew inspiration from films like the sweet life (1960), by Federico Fellini; The Godfather (1972), by Francis Ford Coppola, or Nashville (1975), by Robert Altmann.
The choral ensemble is headed by the Mexican Diego Calva (Narcos: Mexico), who shares credits with Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Jean Smart, Samara Weaving, Max Minghella, Katherine Waterston, Lukas Haas, Olivia Wilde, Spike Jonze and Tobey Maguire, among others.
Is it the best or the worst film in Damien Chazelle’s filmography? Do you have chances for the Oscars? How about Diego Calva’s performance? Here the first reactions of Babylon:
Lauren Huff of Entertainment Weekly:
#BabylonMovie won’t be for everyone, but it is a wild, wild debaucherous ride that swings for the fences and it’s an absolute spectacle of filmmaking from start to finish. I think my jaw was on the floor for most of it. La La Land fans will recognize some things 🎶
—Lauren Huff (@_LaurenHuff) November 15, 2022
“Babylon It won’t be for everyone, but it is a wild ride. A wild and debauched ride that hits for the fences and is an absolute cinematic spectacle from start to finish. I think my jaw was on the ground most of the time. The fans of La La Land They will recognize some things.
Clayton Davis of Variety:
#Babylon It feels like if someone read Damien Chazelle’s story of Sodom and Gomorrah and then he said, “Hold my beer!”
High octane, cocaine-inducing trip. First half is great. Likely the internet’s new favorite movie of all-time. Margot Robbie and Justin Hurwitz are your stars. pic.twitter.com/aM3rru1so0— Clayton Davis – Stand with 🇺🇦 (@ByClaytonDavis) November 15, 2022
“Babylon It feels like someone read Damien Chazelle the story of Sodoma and Gomorra and then he’d say, ‘Hold my beer!’ A high-octane, cocaine-inducing trip. The first half is great. Probably the internet’s new favorite movie of all time. Margot Robbie and Justin Hurwitz are its stars.”
Courtney Howard, Member of the Critics Choice Association:
#BabylonMovie is like a raucous, wild mix of SINGING IN THE RAIN and BOOGIE NIGHTS. It’s excessive (mimicking the era), yet unwaveringly entertaining. pic.twitter.com/L1RVtergx3
—Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) November 15, 2022
“BabylonDamien Chazelle’s is a dazzling, dizzying cacophony of insane depravity. I loved her. A rebellious and outrageous portrait of the hedonistic Hollywood of the golden age. Margot Robbie is vigorous. Diego Calva is sensational. Stunning costumes and production design. It’s like a raucous and wild mix of Singing under the rain Y Boogie Nights. It’s excessive (mimicking the period), but unflinchingly entertaining.”
Kevin Polowy of Yahoo Entertainment:
A coked-up Margot Robbie projectile vomiting all over the face of a stuffy old man in a tux pretty much sums up the chaotic energy and glorious messiness of BABYLON, truly the strangest, most debaucherous love letter to Hollywood ever.
—Kevin Polowy (@djkevlar) November 15, 2022
“A projectile of a stoned Margot Robbie vomiting on the face of an old man in a tuxedo pretty well sums up the chaotic energy and glorious disorder of Babylon. Truly the strangest and most riotous love letter to Hollywood.”
Yolanda Machado, from Entertainment Weekly:
Babylon is A LOT of movie – a purposeful mess, a journey more than a film that feels every bit as much to the town it encompasses. There is a storyline I’m questioning… but Margot Robbie and Diego Calva are 🔥🔥 and the music!!! Oomph, the music and visuals are 💯!!!
— Yolanda Machado (@SassyMamainLA) November 15, 2022
“Babylon it’s a LOT of film: a mess with a purpose. A journey more than a movie that feels too much like the city it portrays. There is a plot line that I question… but Margot Robbie and Diego Calva are magnificent and the music… Wow, the music and images are spectacular!
Jeff Nelson of Showbiz Cheat Sheet:
#Babylon/#BabylonMovie is a daring Hollywood epic that utterly shocks the senses. Margot Robbie and Diego Calva give huge performances. Damien Chazelle incorporates his signature musicality and movement throughout. Justin Hurwitz’s score is one hell of a wall of sound. pic.twitter.com/RTlL9WhaKa
—Jeff Nelson (@SirJeffNelson) November 15, 2022
”Babylon is a daring Hollywood epic that completely shocks the senses. Margot Robbie and Diego Calva give great performances. Damien Chazelle incorporates his trademark musicianship and moves throughout. Justin Hurwitz’s score is a great compendium of sounds”.
Steven Weintraub of Collider:
I got lost in #babylonmovie in a good way. Love watching movies that I’m not sure where it’s going next. And Diego Calva was fantastic and is going to book a lot of roles after this movie. pic.twitter.com/04Zhy2SIo1
—Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) November 15, 2022
“I got lost in Babylon, in a good way. I love watching movies that I’m not sure where they will go next. And Diego Calva was fantastic and he is going to get many roles after this film”.
You might also be interested: Who is Diego Calva, the Mexican who stars in Babylon?
Perri Nemiroff, of Collider:
#Babylon has some incredibly strong sequences — especially the ones focused on Margot Robbie’s character — but overall lacked focus & couldn’t support so many key characters. Lots of interesting ideas in there but the manic visuals & story structure work for some and not others. pic.twitter.com/ZF6SJLeoXc
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) November 15, 2022
“Babylon it has some incredibly strong sequences, especially the ones that focus on the character of Margot Robbie, but overall it lacks focus and doesn’t support as many key characters. There are a lot of interesting ideas, but the manic imagery and story structure works for some and not for others.”
Scott Menzel, founder of the Hollywood Critics Association:
Babylon is an ambitious mess of a film. I don’t even know where to begin with this one but the tone is all over the place. Margot Robbie tries but the script fails her. A love letter to cinema that made me hate cinema. #BabylonMovie pic.twitter.com/BnKQiOz2Zd
—Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) November 15, 2022
“Babylon it’s an ambitious mess. I don’t even know where to start with her, but the tone is all over the place. Margot Robbie tries but the script fails her. A love letter to cinema that made me hate cinema”.
Joshua Rothkopf, of Entertainment Weekly:
Damien Chazelle brings buckets of energy to BABYLON, but it’s never not pounding and obvious and, finally, uninsightful. Everything about it is borrowed—even down to Tobey Maguire stealing the film as its Alfred Molina. A Scorsese coke film by a squeaky clean director.
— Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf) November 15, 2022
“Damien Chazelle brings buckets of energy to Babylon, but it never fails to be throbbing and obvious and ultimately short-sighted. Everything is borrowed, even the way Tobey Maguire steals the movie as Alfred Molina. A movie à la Martin Scorsese from Coca-Cola by a crisp, sharp director.”
Gregory Ellwood, of Playlist:
Babylon is a fever dream of a movie that’s best when it’s being a straight out comedy. The drama barely plays. Pitt and Jovan Adepo give the best performances in the movie. Robbie gives it her de ella all but the character is so one note. She didn’t love it.
— Gregory Ellwood -The Playlist 🎬 (@TheGregoryE) November 15, 2022
“Babylon it’s a fever dream of a movie that works best when it’s a straight comedy. The drama barely appears. Bratt Pitt and Jovan Adepo give the best performances in the movie. Margot Robbie gives it her all, but her character is one note. I didn’t love it.”
Ryan Swen, member of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association:
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BABYLON: Truly monstrous in its thudding insistence on shoving the viewer’s face into the muck and claiming it’s something novel or moving; Chazelle might be the most confident director in Hollywood today, of course he’s also got some of the worst instincts out there.
— Ryan Swen/孫天行/Sun Tianxing (@swen_ryan) November 15, 2022
“Babylon: Truly monstrous in its loud insistence on shoving the viewer’s face into the mud and claiming that it is something novel or touching. Chazelle might be the most confident director in Hollywood today but of course he also has some of the worst instincts around.”
Erick Weber, editor of Awards Ace:
I have some really—really—bad news to share with you, #Babylon‘sa flaming hot mess, a tonal disaster, easily Damien Chazelle’s worst film & one of the worst films of 2022 💀
— Erick MMT Weber (@ErickWeber) November 15, 2022
I have some very, very bad news to share with you. Babylon It is a disaster. A tonal disaster. Easily Damien Chazelle’s worst movie and one of the worst movies of 2022.”
You might also be interested in: Babylon – Trailer, premiere and everything about Damien Chazelle’s film.
Babylon It will be released in early 2023 in theaters in Latin America.
Staff Cinema PREMIERE This text was conceived, created and developed at the same time by a team of experts working in harmony. All together. One letter each.