“DAMN IT JERRY” – Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza) — Was this a Parks and Rec reference? I had high expectations and was excited for Thursday’s preview, but I was disappointed due to the lack of real direction or a clear narrative. I genuinely don’t know what I watched, or remember it.Megalopolis felt more like a highlight reel of all the films Francis Ford Coppola wanted to make over the past 40 years, but never did. It had a “throw it on the wall and see what sticks” vibe.Aubrey Plaza, alongside Jon Voight, delivered some of the best acting in the film. Some have said she carried the film and kept it interesting—I agree. (But are we surprised? Her role in FX’s Legion was brilliantly played, and you can feel her strength here as well—she broke out of her “deadpan” persona a long time ago.) Adam Driver fell short, but I can’t blame him; his character felt trapped in a loop. Casting Adam Driver in the lead immediately gave me an image of Kylo Ren, and the posters didn’t help, showing him holding a T-square like a lightsaber and framing him in the trailers with red and blue lighting. This film followed the fault of Marvel/Disney, who tend to cast big names for lead roles. Why not take a chance on a lesser-known actor and give them a breakthrough opportunity? (We don’t need to see Robert Downey Jr. as both Iron Man and Doctor Doom.) Star-packed movies aren’t always necessary to deliver a great film.This story would’ve been better suited as a mini-series for streaming, which might have given Coppola the space to fully explore the narrative and properly build the story. Imagine if this had been a fantastic HBO Max mini-series (Coppola would never) with a budget of $120 million (or $136 million, according to some reports). It would’ve been easier to digest.✔ My suggestion? Your money is better spent on Megan Park’s My Old Ass, a Sundance film starring Aubrey Plaza as well, but one that won’t leave you questioning what you just watched.
| Source | | | Follow Frank on Letterboxd! |