I was relieved to see that Babylon is a mostly well-constructed and engaging film. A film with this type of runtime has an extra responsibility to keep its audience invested. In this case, the three hours goes by rather quickly because of the almost manic energy the film possesses. The success here is thanks to an overall well written script and a very gifted cast. There is a minor list of negatives here, the main one being that the wild nature of several scenes can go a little too far. But all things considered, this film is worthy of your time and attention!
I’m so thankful that this film does actually tell a story. I was afraid this could be another Once Upon A Time In Hollywood with a meandering “plot” that doesn’t follow any clear narrative. Here, we follow a small number of people in Hollywood during the late 20’s and early 30’s. Two of these characters are wild and tragic, and several others are more serious and centered, which gives us some interesting range. They find effective ways to give these characters interesting storylines.
One may think a plot of this nature would turn out to be tedious and while there is certainly a danger of that, Babylon tells its story through an entertaining prism. There’s a healthy amount of verve and zest. And while this is certainly one of the upsides, a small portion of it is also one of the minor downsides. There are a few times where the raucous energy does become a bit much and the film would have been helped by dialing some of that back a bit.
There are several instances where it seems like they’re just trying to be shocking for no real reason. One thing that occurs very early on is simply disgusting and completely unnecessary. Babylon would have been much better off without that and the fact that it happens practically right off the bat is really not a good way to open things up. The very end of the film is also a little flawed and needed to be reined in. The ending focuses less on the characters and the story that’s just been told and more on cinema in general and the history of it. I found that to be very disappointing because yes, this film is about cinema and Hollywood but it’s also about these characters and their stories. What they do at the very end just felt incorrect and out of step with what the film had been for the past three hours.
But like I mentioned, there are plenty of great scenes full of genuine intrigue that make up for the missteps. One of those scenes that I really loved was scene between Brad Pitt’s character and Jean Smart’s character. This is such an honest exchange, and both these pros get to flex their muscles in a big way.
Speaking of which, this cast does a lot for this film. Brad Pitt is fantastic here. I found him more memorable here than his Oscar winning performance a few years ago. Margot Robbie continues to command the screen as this wild young starlet trying to navigate tinsel town in the late 1920s. Jean Smart is such a delight to watch here! She plays a character that is essentially Hedda Hopper in a different time period. She reminds you why she’s been successful in this business for so long! Diego Calva is good as well. He isn’t quite as moving as the others, but he still does just fine.
The final detail here that simply demands attention is the pristine costume design. The clothes are very creative and are a vital tool in a film like this. Babylon is an overall well written film with interesting characters and skilled performances.
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