Megalopolis (2024)

Set in an alternate universe called New Rome, an architect and Nobel Prize winner (Adam Driver) has developed a revolutionary building material which he plans on using to build a Utopian community. Written, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola (THE GODFATHER). An ambitious science fiction epic (it's no coincidence that the film's title echoes Lang's sci-fi epic METROPOLIS) that uses the fall of the Roman Empire as a parallel to contemporary America. Visually, it's amazing. As cinema, it's an incoherent mess! It's never boring but in the end, it's still a beautifully wrapped empty package. It's a failure but the kind of crazy fiasco that only a major talent can create. The acting is all over the place ranging from bad (Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight) to adequate (Nathalie Emmanuel, Laurence Fishburne) and while I can admire Adam Driver taking risks, it's one of his lesser performances. With Dustin Hoffman, Aubrey Plaza, Giancarlo Esposito, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, Chloe Fineman and James Remar.