I need to state my apology to Babylon. I judged it poorly, because I finally checked it out, and I was dazzled from head to toe.
Let me preface this by saying that I already have been a fan of Damien Chazelle. This has been true since I saw Whiplash with my dad and fell in love with jazz music in the popular Miles Teller movie even more. I've adored even La La Land's behind-the-scenes facts, and while First Man isn't my go-to space movie (that will always be my fave Christopher Nolan film Interstellar), it ranks up there.
When Babylon came out as his next major motion picture, I was interested, but it wasn’t the first film I was setting out to see the moment it was released. The cast excited me because there were so many stars in there, which was enough for me to want to see the movie…but at the same time, the film's concept didn't stick out. I've seen period pieces from the 1920s before, and honestly, I didn't want to see another movie like that at the time.
Pair that with Babylon releasing a few days before Christmas 2022, when it was hard for me to get to the theaters, and I just never got around to seeing it. When Babyon got polarizing reviews from critics, I was less than inclined.
Then a funny thing happened. Babylon started to get buzzy again. In fact, the Internet was obsessed a bit with the Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt starrer. Honestly, when I see this much discourse over whether a film is good or bad, I'm usually not the first to check it out in theaters because movies are expensive nowadays. However, I finally decided to see it – and I was wrong just like so many insta-judgers were. So wrong. In so many ways.
Margot Robbie Is Absolutely Dazzling
Margot Robbie has been on her A-game in 2023 with the release of Barbie. I've followed her since her time in the amazing rom-com About Time, and I've loved her in every movie since. She's excellent in many things she does – including her Academy Award-nominated performance in I, Tonya.
But for the love of God, it's upsetting that her performance was overshadowed in Babylon. It's a performance that is worthy of an Academy Award nomination, in my opinion.
Margot Robbie does not exist in this film. She is, entirely, Nellie LaRoy, an actress and drug addict who captivates any audience member watching. I couldn't turn away when she is there. It's easy to see how fans have become obsessed with her in the role. She embraced this character, and it's saddening to me that her performance didn't get the praise it deserves.
The Babylon cast is exquisite, but Robbie? Ooh boy, she is out of this world. And it wasn't just the actress that drew me in to this wonderful film either.
Yes, The Story And Film Can Get Graphic – But That Adds To The Experience
A significant criticism I saw from many people is that the film's story felt way too intense, with a lot of, well... everything stuffed in there.
There are graphic scenes of narcotics use and other not-so-family-friendly instances, and the whole movie feels like you're on some drug trip that never ends because there's so much going on.
However, I found myself enjoying that. Granted, I didn't grow up in the twenties, so I don't know what it was like back in the earlier days of Hollywood. But the hedonistic early era of Hollywood is well documented, and from seeing Babylon, I can honestly imagine it now. This movie takes place during the Roaring 20s – it's called that for a reason.
Yes, the story can sometimes be intense with its material and how much is packed in there, but I enjoyed it to, at least mostly.
The Score Is Unbelievably Amazing
Justin Hurwitz doesn't miss.
Hurwitz frequently collaborates with Damien Chazelle when it comes to music. All of his scores and songs live rent-free in my head, and the music of Babylon perfectly explains that.
It's hectic, jazzy, and made me want to get up in my living room and start dancing with my boyfriend because it's contagious. It's electric. It's everything you could imagine in a movie like Babylon. I mean, "Voodoo Mama" is on my driving playlist. You can't listen and tell me you don't want to get up and bop your head to that.
The Production Design Felt As If I Was Transported Back In Time
The thing with period pieces in any movie is that you want to make sure that it feels like we are a part of that time. I have seen some incredible period movies do this with their production design, like The King's Speech or Greta Gerwig's amazing Little Women, but I have also seen some fail.
Babylon brings production design to the forefront. The sets created in this film fully immerse you, making you feel like you're at some Hollywood party dancing with everyone and thinking you are the next up and coming star in the 1920s. There's not a single thing out of place. Even the costumes are outstanding. You only need to have seen the opening sequence to understand this, but I hope you dive in much further.
And The Cinematography Was Comparable To Some Of The Best Movies Of The Last Few Years
Cinematography is something that I could go on about for hours, whether it be from a Christopher Nolan movie or a very Wes Anderson shot in a Wes Anderson movie. Still, just something about the cinematography of any Damien Chazelle film makes me feel at home.
It's outstanding in its own way. It reminds me of some great movies released over the last few years, such as Promising Young Women or even Ari Aster's films, Hereditary and Midsommar, where the shots linger for some time. But then, some moments pan out to the utter chaos around us, moving quickly, taking us on a crazy ride.
It's done so well and makes for a brilliantly extravagant experience for the eyes.
One Babylon Critique I Do Have: I Will Say The Movie Is A Little Too Long
I will openly say the movie is too long. Three hours for a film is a lot. I felt all three hours of Oppenheimer. I felt all three hours of Avatar: The Way of Water. And I certainly felt all three hours of Babylon.
It's still an enjoyable ride, don't get me wrong, but if this film were just over two hours, more people would have seen it. Witnessing this movie for three hours was hard on my retinas, as beautiful as it is.
Yet, I Do Not Think This Movie Deserved The Intense Criticism It Got
That being said, Babylon deserved way more hype. Way more. The fact that this film flopped at the box office bothers me deeply.
Yes, I know, I'm a part of that, and I regret it a lot. I am lucky to have a pretty big television at home to view this one, but what would it have been like to see this movie in a theater, where you can tell it belongs? While the plot can be messy, the rest of the film is outstanding in many ways.
It does boggle my mind that many critics didn't enjoy this movie because there's a lot to love. One day, more people will reexamine Babylon and give it the praise it deserves, but for now, I'll settle with the slow crawl of critics and the public, realizing that the movie is a 2022 gem.
Babylon isn't the best Chazelle film, but I would watch this over First Man. It's full of life and energy. It was a new original idea, not a sequel, or an upcoming Marvel movie, or anything else – and we need more of that in Hollywood.
Quite frankly, watching this movie now gives me the confidence to check out future films in the theaters that might not be doing so well – because we might have an underrated classic that needs a little more praise.
