Babylon (Critique & Analysis)

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)

12 Monkeys Review & Analysis

Written by: Lee Fenton

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.

Directed by Terry Gilliam (better known for his role in Monty Python's Flying Circus) and released in 1995 - Twelve Monkeys' story is centered around time travel and the release of a globally devastating virus.

The cinematography is equal parts uncomfortable and claustrophobic. The use of Dutch angles to evoke paranoia; allows the viewer to experience the events through the eyes of the protagonist: James Cole. The scenes that take place in the dystopian future, are exuberantly surreal – not to mention Lynchian in their aesthetic.

In my view this film's visuals draw from one David Lynch picture in particular; Dune (1984). It is hard to ignore the parallels, and in my opinion Terry Gilliam took inspiration from some of the best visuals of Dune and utilized them in 12 Monkeys.

This is not a criticism, seeing as Gilliam's direction differs enough that is a loving homage, or tribute to Lynch's work – instead of a director - who's sole aim is to plagiarize because they have no creative voice of their own. Also I would argue that overall – Gilliam's film is the more pristine of the two, although Dune 1984 has a close place in my heart; even a fan must be subjective and admit it has many, many flaws.

Living through the Coronavirus; and the scary realization that society is always a few viral mutations away from extinction, allows for more empathy with the main character. This film quickly illustrates that animals have retaken the planet since the release of the deadly virus. This is indeed one of the side-effects of a global pandemic. During the peak of Covid-19 lock-downs, animals took to public spaces with overt abundance. This film has aged in a way, that what was once pseudo-science - is now proven to be accurate.

For that, and many other reasons this film is ripe for retreading; I must not be the only one to feel this way; since it recently inspired a television series reboot that aired in 2015 (running for 4 seasons). The relevancy of the film's central premise is exemplified in the fact that a global pandemic effectively shut down the world down a few years back. Science fiction is that genre that seems to only increase in relevancy and never decrease.

I feel that 'Contagion' (worth a watch, for sure) is a film that details the outbreak of a global pathogen, while 12 Monkeys allows a chilling glimpse into the after effects.

12 Monkeys is based upon a half hour short comprised of still images, titled 'La Jetee' (directed by French filmmaker Chris Marker) which swept film festivals and received an abundance of accolades. The melancholy of 'La Jetee' carries through in 12 Monkeys, albeit with a greater sense of suspense due to the differing medium of film vs still imagery. The short is colored with a sense of dread of the unknown that continues until the final sequence.

The time travel plot and iconic twist of the movie are all products of Chris Marker's ingenuity. Truly a brilliant work of art that Terry Gilliam adapted expertly to the silver screen. 12 Monkeys is a titanic accomplishment and contains plenty of directorial choices (visually and otherwise) by Gilliam that are ubiquitous, and are not a product of Chris Marker's work.

Bruce Willis' role as James Cole is possibly his best performance in any film. Pulp Fiction is a contender as well; yet I feel more drawn to this interpretation of the soul lost in time. His abject hopelessness is mesmerizing to watch and his characters emotional anguish propels the film forward to its poetic ending.

Without spoiling anything, it is a tearful twist - you may never forget.

(9/10) côte d'agneau pan roasted with a side of grilled asparagus

bon appetit!