Written by: Lee Fenton

NOTE: This is a re-edit of a blog entry that was posted on Aug. 26th / 2023

This article was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the hard work and dedication of the writers and actors, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist. In fact, no films or television would.

We stand in solidarity.

Babylon is a 2022 American film, a dark comedy made to be one part critique of Hollywood, and a another part love-letter to the burgeoning days of the silver screen. Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, it is his attempt at an epic of sorts; after the success of his smaller passion project Whiplash.

Babylon is also a bloated mess.

Like the elephant that defecates on screen, just a few minutes into the film. Full POV shot straight at the camera. The only way to live the experience more fully would be to don a VR headset, for complete immersion. But.. why?

I feel this sequence set the tone for the rest of the movie. The tone Damien Chazelle wanted; I'm unsure, but it come’s off as pent-up creative diarrhea.

I am sure this is not what the filmmaker was going for. This film is supposed to be another Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or something in the vein of Hail Caesar (although under-performing, Hail Caesar is considered by most a successful Coen brothers picture) but to me it is more closely related to the industry pariah: Movie 43.

While some may see a beautifully subversive take on Hollywood's over-abundance and hedonism, conversely I feel this film assaults you with disgusting imagery, intended to shock. Inter-spliced with humour that falls flat; strung together with disjointed editing, adjoined by scenes that come off more as a collection of skits (or shorts) than an actual cohesive screenplay.

Tonal shifts can happen but they should be smooth and serve the overall story. A screenplay that has a strong central theme is rather essential, Babylon attempts this with the thru line of Manny's (main character) ascension through the ranks of Hollywood, and then his rather fast decline. I feel that the focus of the film did not stay on these story beats near-enough.

Linearity was lacking in this film, and I must wonder if it was intended or if it was just a result of a passionate filmmaker creating a not-so-hot mess. If you've missed the similarities between the films Movie 43 and Babylon then perhaps you are dissimilar to me, and in your eyes, this movie is a masterpiece of epic proportions.

In my eyes it came off as a pile of steaming shit, which is after all what they put in front of my face as soon as I attempted to watch the damn thing.

Movie 43 will always be synonymous with making the choice to attach prosthetic balls to Hugh Jackman's chin for a cheap laugh; and Babylon runs the risk of forever being associated with the disgusting smut it attempted to peddle. It's quite sad, because both films have some good stuff in them, but their lasting impression will likely amount to the shock bait that they dangled in front of their viewers.

Hopefully, future filmmakers will learn from Damien Chazelle's experience and allow their movie a moment to breathe. But Damien doesn't allow his art to breathe, instead Damien Chazelle chooses to shove the visual of a young woman, pissing on a older, morbidly obese man - in front of you; mere seconds after the elephant 'accident'.

Yep. He doubled down.

Now some would argue that other films have utilized shocking visuals like this before, and I would have to agree, while adding, execution is everything.

A picture that does manage to succeed in this, is Perfume: 'A Story of a Murderer'. In its opening sequence an impoverished woman; working as a street vendor, gives birth in a pile of fetid, rancid garbage and rotten fish. The movie is set in 1800s - Paris, France and the filmmaker chose to depict this scene as historically accurate. It is wholly disturbing, as intended.

Perfume's execution obviously differs from Babylon, since the event is paramount to the story and informs the protagonist's actions throughout the rest of the film. (I might spoil it a bit for you, but the crux of the character has to do with his sense of smell, hence the title of the movie.) Or perhaps the difference is simply that, Perfume is a great movie - made competently, and the execution worked, while Babylon is a misguided attempt at high art, resulting in a revolting, mismatch of ideas, themes, and visuals.

Despite the few moments of greatness here and there.

*Good performances though. Toby Maguire was splendid and unexpectedly putrid; Margo Robbie brought a level of energy rarely seen, and Brad Pitt was a perfect mix of charming, and handsome, as always.

The fault of the actors, it is not.

Rating 3.5 / 10 (undercooked sirloin)