Babylon
Overview
Babylon is a 2022 epic period comedy-drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle, set in Hollywood during the transition from silent films to talkies in the late 1920s. The film features an ensemble cast including Brad Pitt as Jack Conrad, a silent film star; Margot Robbie as Nellie LaRoy, a wild, ambitious aspiring actress; Diego Calva as Manny Torres, a young Mexican-American who dreams of working in Hollywood; and Jean Smart as Elinor St. John, a powerful gossip columnist. The film is a sprawling, three-hour, debauched, and excessive celebration of the excesses of Hollywood. The opening sequence is a wild, drug-fueled, orgiastic party at a Hollywood mansion. The film follows the rise and fall of its characters as the film industry changes. Jack Conrad is a charismatic, beloved star who cannot adapt to sound. His career is destroyed. Nellie LaRoy is a talented, magnetic performer who is also self-destructive and unstable. She cannot handle the pressure of stardom. Manny is a kind, ambitious man who tries to help Nellie, but he is eventually corrupted by the industry. The film ends with Manny watching a montage of film history, from the earliest motion pictures to Singin' in the Rain to Avatar. He cries, and he smiles. Babylon was a critical and commercial disappointment, earning only $63 million on a $80 million budget. However, the film has gained a cult following and is now recognized as a bold, ambitious, and brilliant exploration of the magic and madness of cinema.
