Jacked In Reviews ‘Babylon’ (2023)

With a trailer that promises quite the spectacle whilst simultaneously giving nothing away, it was hard to tell what awaited audience members when going to see Babylon.

Suffice to say, when the first ten minutes hits you with projectile diarrhoea from an elephant, a mass orgy and a grand (although, perhaps grand is too small a word) house party, from that point on, director Damien Chazelle has you in the palm of his hand.

An ode to the golden age of cinema like never seen before, we follow the transition of silence to sound (and the troubles that came with it) from the perspective of three individuals and their struggles within the industry; a has-been (Brad Pitt), a star (Margot Robbie) and a go-getter (Diego Calva).

But, despite the carnage left, right and centre, the characters are having a blast and you can’t help but have that blast with them.

Though the stories belong to that of fictionalized individuals, the world in which they find themselves in, isn’t. With a leading man who bears a striking resemblance to John Gilbert and an unfortunate occurrence in the first act which isn’t too dissimilar to that of a certain “Fatty” Arbuckle incident, we’re being given a semi-truthful glimpse into the past.

However, unlike Chazelle’s previous movie (La La Land), as well as the glamourous world of lights, camera, and action, this picture focuses more on taking you into the darker, seedier underbelly of 1920s Hollywood. But, despite the carnage left, right and centre, the characters are having a blast and you can’t help but have that blast with them.

An absolutely tremendous cast that exudes the classic era, but Tobey Maguire steals the show, unsettling you with his mere (brief but very memorable) presence.

A spectacular, hilarious, must-see movie that leaves you with the message that times change and nothing stands in the way of progress… especially actors.

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