'Passion Project Without Passion:' Francis Ford Coppola's Long-Awaited 'Megalopolis' Arrives At Cannes, But Gets Mixed Reviews From Critics

The long-anticipated film “Megalopolis” by renowned director Francis Ford Coppola has finally premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

What Happened: The film, a 138-minute science-fiction saga influenced by Roman history, marks Coppola’s return to the Palme d’Or competition, Cannes’ highest honor, for the first time since his 1979 win with “Apocalypse Now,” Reuters reported.

However, the reviews have been mixed. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called the movie “…a passion project without passion: a bloated, boring and bafflingly shallow film, full of high-school-valedictorian verities about humanity's future,” while Peter Debruge of Variety has called deeming “this garish, idea-bloated monstrosity a mere ‘fable’ is to grossly undersell the project's expansive insights into art, life and legacy.”

Bilgi Ebiri, who reviewed the film for Vulture, pointed out that the Copolla had to cut corners and work with a smaller crew to make the film over decades.

“Maybe there are future cuts of this film that will flesh things out more. Or maybe sometimes the reality of the now just defeats the possibilities of the forever,” Ebiri added.

X, formerly Twitter, has been buzzing with users praising Copolla and criticizing the film equally.

The more I watch and listen to Francis Ford Coppolas interviews about Megalopolis the more of a legend he becomes – I haven't even seen any of it but the man is doing it his way, no ifs no buts, if I could harness 1% of that…🙏 truly inspired

— Mike Simpson (@MKY_Studio) May 17, 2024

Looking at the almost gleeful pile on for Francis and MEGALOPOLIS causes me to have this uncontrollable thing building at the back of my throat that wants to come out as – "WHERE'S YOUR FUCKING FILM?"

— Andrew David Barker (@ADBarker) May 17, 2024

cannes is not divided between Megalopolis defenders and haters. it is divided between people who think it would be very funny for it to win the palme d'or and those who do not.

— Rory Doherty (he/him) (@roryhasopinions) May 17, 2024

Despite receiving mixed reviews, critics recognized the film’s entertainment value. The cast includes well-known actors such as Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, and Nathalie Emmanuel.

The plot of “Megalopolis” revolves around an architect-scientist, “Cesar Catilina,” portrayed by Driver, who strives to enhance a fictional version of New York City, New Rome, in opposition to Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Esposito), who prioritizes authority and institutions over change.

The movie, produced with a budget of $120 million, is yet to secure a U.S. distributor but is anticipated to have a limited worldwide release in Imax theaters later this year. Coppola’s journey with “Megalopolis” started in the early 1980s, with the director even selling a part of his wine business to self-finance the film’s production.

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Why It Matters: Coppola, who gained international fame in the 1970s with his critically acclaimed films "The Godfather," "The Godfather Part II" and "Apocalypse Now," has been trying to produce “Megalopolis” for over 40 years but faced challenges in securing financing.

In a potentially game-changing move for the film industry, Coppola sold a part of his wine empire to self-finance the film’s hefty $120 million budget. This bold step could have significant implications for the future of film financing, particularly for passion projects of this scale.

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