ABC Film Challenge – Oscar Nomination – B – Babylon – Movie Rob’s Review
“It’s written in the stars, I am a star. ” – Nellie LaRoy
Number of Times Seen – 1 (2 Feb 2023)
Brief Synopsis – A look at the way things worked in Hollywood in the early days and how the world was seen in a very different light depending on whether you were in front of or behind the camera.
My Take on it – This is a film that I’ve been anticipating to watch for a few months due to the stellar cats and the fact that it is another film by Damien Chazelle. They do an amazing job showing that what the viewers see on the movie screens is never the same as what one sees when you are there in person as it’s all happening. The depravity of the actors and studio execs at the time is shown here in a very blatant way and they don’t sugar coat anything. I ca understand why it could be assumed that this kind f film could be a hit, but the fact of the matter is that it isn’t interesting enough to want to watch for over three hours. None of the characters seem to be developed beyond the superficial and there is really no one to root for as things move along.
MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Damien Chazelle detailed the casting of Diego Calva as the lead as a rigorous two-year process. He sifted through hundreds of thousands of headshots before stumbling on Calva’s. He said he was sold on his “eyes and overall look,” and wanted a lead that “didn’t come with emotional baggage for the audience to connect to.” This, and Zoom auditions, resulted in Calva landing the role. (From IMDB)
Rating – BAFTA Worthy (5/10)