Babylon Movie 2023 Review, Release Date, Cast, Story, Trailer

An original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles, directed by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva, starring Jovan Adipo, Lee Jun Lee and Gene Smart. A tale of over-ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of several characters during an era of unbridled decadence and decadence in early Hollywood.

Damien Chazelle is obsessed with the agonizing pursuit of perfection. Whether it’s finding flawless speed, penetrating space, or making it big in Hollywood, his films feature characters who are willing to endure physical and emotional torture to reach the finish line. If “La La Land” was his sentimental, wide-eyed look at the movie machine, “Babylon” feels like a very deliberate counterpoint to that film’s criticism. It’s a lavish 1920s drama about how often images on canvas that feel like magic are actually the result of incredible hard work, broken dreams and good luck. Several sequences in “Babylon” show how much can be done in two seconds of film.

Is it all worth it? This is a difficult question. Chazelle pays lip service that this version of the moon landing is travel-worthy, but he drags his characters and the audience through so much misogyny that it’s hard to believe. “Babylon” is a film that has great parts — both individual scenes, performances and technical elements — but it feels like it lacks the magic touch that Chazelle needs to pull it together honestly. There’s something to be said for a film this strong and uncompromising, but I felt as manipulated and betrayed as the film’s underdogs who get devoured by the Hollywood machine at the end. You could argue that this is intentional.

About this script. “Babylon” is a test of whether a movie can be the sum of its great pieces. A great score, a talented cast and masterful cinematography – all this is undeniable here. And yet there are elements of “Babylon’s” narrative that feel hollow from the start and only become more so when Chazelle tries to weave some manipulative lessons into the final scenes. A film like Babel can be aggressively bitter and insulting, but I found it hypocritical when it tries to play the “isn’t it all worth it” card that everyone knows comes in the final scenes. Fans of the film seem to love this finale, but it struck me as the worst material of Chazelle’s career.

Babylon Movie Details

Release date December 23, 2022 (United States)
Country of origin United States
Official sites Official Facebook Official Instagram
Languages Spanish Italian French Mandarin Cantonese English
Also known as Вавилон
Filming locations Los Angeles, California, USA
Director Damien Chazelle
Writer Damien Chazelle