Babylon (2022)

The silver screening is fantastic visitors with remedy of cinematic silent movies which are all of the rage in Hollywood, with Tinseltown bursting with life, expertise, and decadence. big show display megastar Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) is dwelling his exceptional lifestyles, burning thru a rolodex of female partners, at the same time as keeping a consistent profession and container office draw. Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie) is a ladies from New Jersey who’s desperate to become a “massive” in 

Hollywood, utilizing her road smarts and brassy fashion to make a chief impact on those in charge, quick becoming a star actress when she’s in the end given the threat to shine. Manny Torres (Diego Calva) is a young man with enterprise aspirations and climbs the ladder of interworking of Hollywood, at the same time as preserving consciousness on Nellie, which reasons issues for the duration of his rising career. As time alternate and the Hollywood enterprise starts to shift into new ways of cinematic storytelling via its movement photographs, the lives of Jack, Nellie, and Manny witness the changing of the shield of the generation by dealing with struggles, triumphs, and private reflections upon themselves and their legacies.

the coolest / THE horrific

With such a lot of directors available (both vintage and new), it’s tough to pinpoint ones which can be particular memorable. To be honest, I clearly don’t have a selected favored one, however rather a collective organization of recognizable administrators which have certainly been round for some time and feature made their “non-public mark” on the film enterprise. Of path, the ones that I noted above genuinely make that listing and (to be honest) loads of their work speaks for themselves and their credibility for delivering such iconic / memorable feature movies is quite a cinematic deal with. essentially, whenever they make a film…it creates / generates a whole lot of buzz approximately the assignment. inside the case of Damien Chazelle,

 the equal piece of cloth of pleasure and intrigue. obviously, he doesn’t have the identical sort of big range of directorial feature films to his call (at the present day moment of this overview), however his work really speaks for itself and has cultivated in some excellent cinematic storytelling. at the same time as I haven’t had the satisfaction of seeing his first movie guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, my first experience of Chazelle’s paintings changed into in his sophomore in 2014’s 

Whiplash , which offer some amazing on-display screen individual performing from each actors Miles Teller and J.k. Simmons. 2016, Chazelle’s los angeles la Land changed into (to me) a remarkable “homage” to the taste of the silver display in Hollywood’s heyday of musical / dancing; a form of birthday party of the times of Fred Astaire and Jean Kelly endeavors. It was magical, colourful, and instructed a extremely good story of young love and the promise of following a dream. 2018’s First guy changed into another superb win for Chazelle, with the characteristic showcasing an interesting side to Neil Armstrong and the whole “area race” with NASA’s Apollo 11 task. There had been a few minor gripes I had with the project, and i'm able to see why a few human beings didn’t precise care for the film as a whole lot as others, which is probably why the film wasn’t a huge economic success, but it was still a super addition to the director’s catalogue. All in all, I think that Chazelle sincerely has made a call for himself for the duration of the beyond decade, with his function film endeavors bring awesome cinematic and theatrical storytelling to the silver display screen with a unique tackle characters and plot.

This brings me again round to speaking approximately Babylon, a 2022 comedy / drama epic and the 5th movie from director Damien Chazelle. After the vital reception for 2018’s First man, many wondered (consisting of myself) what Chazelle’s subsequent assignment become going to be approximately and when it turned into going to be released. properly, the years kind of went by way of and no longer a great deal talk approximately the director’s upcoming film changed into talked about online. 

That changed into until a few snippets began to appear that his next undertaking might be one pretty a long epic and might be speak approximately the times of old Hollywood, focusing at the wild extravagant lifestyle of actors, directors, and producers of the overdue 20s / early 30s of that technology. reports from on-line then started out to surface with Chazelle’s upcoming function being pretty an epic piece of filmmaking , especially with a lengthy runtime of close to 3 hours lengthy. quite bold, in my view, particularly considering the fact that studios rarely nowadays don’t normally like director to create films that lengthy…. store for superhero blockbusters. within time, 

the film’s movie trailer began to appear in cinemas for the duration of the “coming attractions” preview reel and that i sincerely become intrigued by the movie. From the trailer alone, the plot regarded a piece indistinct, but it regarded love it turned into going to be following numerous individuals (as seeing with the film’s recognizable solid) and their private lives on this specific term in Hollywood…. each suitable and terrible. It gave the impression to be quite the “wild ride” all through its depiction, and that i knew Chazelle’s beyond endeavors could bear the fruit of this exertions . 

So, whilst I nonetheless had a few reservations about the mission, i was sort of fascinated to see Babylon whilst it was set to be launched on December 23rd, 2022. This was even similarly added to the leading edge of my mind whilst early / develop reviews of the Chazelle’s modern function got here out, with the opinions on it being very divided. some definitely preferred it, whilst others downright hated it. So, with my love of cinematic storytelling, i was extra interested now (greater than ever) to peer Babylon and share my thoughts on it. I did without a doubt see the movie at some point of its starting weekend however, due to my work agenda been so busy,

 I had to delay getting my assessment out a few weeks. simply at the least until the whole lot settled down. well, it's far that point now and that i’m sooner or later prepared to proportion my “ cents” on Damien Chazelle’s Babylon. And what did I think about it? properly, unluckily, I should accept as true with the visitors who walked far from this movie with a sour taste in their mouths. no matter an remarkable production pleasant and presentation in addition to numerous nuances of dealing / working in “vintage Hollywood”, Babylon is a messy and elongated feature that seems to meander via storyline threads in a tiresome and unfocused way. blended with bland bits, confusion moments, and an excessive amount of “shock and awe” gross out scenes, Chazelle’s brand new directorial day trip is disappointing one….and that’s this kind of disgrace.

even as the film has incorrect with it, there are several important parts that Babylon does excel in, with Chazelle bring on his maximum ambitious assignment to date within Babylon’s project and ordinary execution. this is made in particular clear by using the film’s very prolonged runtime, which can be seeing as both properly and terrible for the film itself (more on that beneath). As for the positives, it suggests that Chazelle method to showcase a very layered and dramatic epic feeling in his characteristic movie of which he without a doubt demonstrates. To that cease, Chazelle is concise on what 

he desires to say approximately his film, with the challenge by means of loads of nuances and references to “life and times” of this specific age of antique Hollywood technology. To me, this changed into the first-class part of the entire film, specially on the grounds that Chazelle encompasses majority of the film around the idea of filmmaking, movie stars, and the revelry of this unique time in Hollywood. To be sure, Babylon is certainly a joyous and boisterous (if sometimes specific) look at the lives of moviemaking during this time, with a chaotic spree of running all day and devilish attraction of delight at night, showcasing the decadence that this way of life had at some stage in the late 20s. this is brilliantly executed and imagined during the movie’s first act, with Chazelle relishing such opportunity to show such wild frenzy via events, intercourse, pills, and making movement photos.

Of course, the movie itself isn’t all revelry and drugs, for Chazelle does an interesting job in presenting throughout Babylon the “life” of making movies during this time, which showcases the chaotic (and sometimes haphazard) production of making a silent movie to the more taxing and demanding productions of a making a “talkie” feature. In a nutshell, the culture shifting of Hollywood during this time period is sort of the “bread and butter” of Babylon, with Chazelle demonstrating the importance of such things and how it could easily affect it. In the end, whether you loved the film or not, there is no denying the fact that Chazelle’s Babylon is a sort of “love letter” to that age of Hollywood and a homage to actors, filmmakers, and production teams of that era.

While the movie has its faults within its narrative construction (and overall execution of them), Chazelle, who pulls double duty on the movie as both director and writer, makes Babylon’s themes are indeed palpable with some important messages about live and legacy throughout the plot. 

The movie itself is an allegory about the chance and missteps a person can take (or not take) through the course of their lives and in their professional lives. Babylon gives insight into several individuals as we (the viewers) witness their own personal struggles and triumphs as they make their way through Hollywood’s rocky road of stardom and fame. The film does also showcase how one person could be at the top of their game in one moment, only to find themselves “scrapping the bottom of the barrel” in a blink of an eye. Chazelle’s metaphors in Babylon about living life and changing / adapting through such ever-changing moments in the world is something that is universal and could easily be extrapolated to today’s world. Additionally the idea of leaving behind a legacy (long after an individual is gone) also further drives that particular notion home and shows the movies themselves (the characters and stories being told therein) will last far longer and will continue to find meaning in the generations to come. A cinematic legacy…. if you will.

For its presentation, Babylon is perhaps the most lavishing, detailed, and eye-catching production that Chazelle’s endeavors (as of this date). While the movie does have its fair share of problems, there is no denying the fact that the production quality for this Hollywood drama is solid all the way around, with such intricate detail of the film’s timeline era, which is the circa late 20s to early 30s. 

Such depictions of Tinseltown is dripping with such lavishness and glamour, with Chazelle’s glitzy and rambunctious portrayal of “Old Hollywood” of that age is such a vibrant world. That’s not to say that everything in the movie is fashionable and opulent (of which some scenes are shown), but Chazelle also brings a very “life like” realism to such imagery of the filmmaking world of the time period as well as the grimy and seedy underbelly that Los Angeles underworld, which showcased such vile and creepiness that lurks in the shadows, a somewhat contrast to the grandeur. Still, whether in darkness or light,

the production presented throughout the movie is quite good through many of the feature’s set designs, costumes, and set decoration in such a detailed and intricate way. Thus, the movie’s “behind the scenes” key players, including Florencia Martin (production design), Ace Eure, Anthony D. Parrillo, Jason Perrine, and Eric Sundahl (art direction), Anthony Carlino (set decorations), and Mary Zophres (costume design), should be praised for their efforts in making Babylon’s visual look and appeal both genuine and cinematic at the same time. Speaking of cinematics, the film’s cinematography work by Linus Sandgren is fantastic throughout the entire film; offering up some unique and slick usage of camera angles, lightning, and shadowing effects to make Babylon’s world come alive with such cinematic brilliance. Lastly, the film’s score, which was composed by Justin Hurwitz, is also quite good throughout the movie. Of course, the composition has the right number of theatrical flourishes through poignant moments to quieter character dialogue scenes, but Hurtwitz’s score also has the influences of the big bandstand of the jazz era, which appropriate fits into Chazelle’s drama epic of old Hollywood.

Unfortunately, Babylon, despite the ambition and grandeur that Chazelle wants to convey in his latest film, ends up biting off more than it can chew, with several large (and glaring) points of criticism that weight the film down. How so? Well, for starters, the movie is quite long in its undertaking and definitely didn’t need to be. The feature clocks in at around 188 minutes (three hours and three minutes) long, there is no denying the fact that Babylon is quite a long project to sit through. While the justification for such lengthy endeavors can be warranted through sheer massive scale and scope of the feature’s narrative (i.e., Avengers: Endgame, The Lord of the Rings: 

The Return of the King, The Ten Commandments, etc.), Chazelle’s Hollywood character drama doesn’t exactly need / require the prolonged theatrical duration and ends up being quite the “filler” of many, many sequences scattered throughout the picture. This is clearly to be seeing in the movie’s opening scene, which sort of sets the stage for what is to come in the film’s depiction of Hollywood elitism decadence, but it just goes on and on for way too long. Heck, even the feature’s opening title doesn’t appear until more than a half an hour into the movie. Further examination into the project also shows that Chazelle, while clear in what movie he wants to tell, overextends the movie with such bloated and excessive weight, with the final product of the movie could’ve been easily trimmed down a good thirty to forty minutes for a tighter, yet still impactful tale to be told. Basically, Babylon just runs way too long (for its own good) and Chazelle, much like his characters, gets lost within his own dreams and ambitions, while losing sight of what’s actually in front of him.

Because of this, Babylon has a lot of moments where the feature is sort of unbalanced in what it wants to explore in and out of its various character, most importantly in the three main lead protagonists that story follows the most. With so much going on (for the film’s camera lens focuses on), the various players in Chazelle’s magus opus epic gets lost, with sometime focusing on one particular character far too long and neglecting the importance of the others until later on. 

This unbalanced of character screen-time and development plays a part in Babylon’s criticism, with the script, while crystal in what it wants to speak towards, ends up getting quite lost and uneven throughout. Naturally this makes a lot of the movie feel a bit tedious and almost boring at times, especially with the amount of excessiveness going on. Such navigation tricks could’ve been easily employed to help build up more tension or development for its character to have more well-roundedness, but Chazelle doesn’t exactly do that and just keeps piling on superfluous details and unnecessary moments to fill out his movie. Additionally, a problem of this aspect of Babylon plays in part of the writing itself, which is sometimes good and solid, but other times seems quite predictable and lazy at times. With a sharper pencil…. Chazelle could’ve made the film that much better, with witty dialogue and understanding of the characters littered throughout the picture. In truth, I think that Chazelle should’ve translated Babylon’s story into a limited TV series / TV miniseries format instead of a theatrical feature film endeavor. By doing this, Chazelle could’ve allowed the narrative to breath by removing the constraints of a motion picture framework and could’ve been able to explore more aspect of the story, the culture of Hollywood, and better character development in both major and minor subplots.

Another problem that I had with, which might be a minor complaint for some, but it was a big one for me…. was the over usage of such raunchy depictions. I, for one, am not offended by such imagery as I’ve seeing it in plenty of feature films and TV series programs, but it sort of has to be warranted and / or justifiable to incorporate such images of raunchy / grossed out moments. That being said, Babylon sort of doesn’t and ends up being just a weak attempt for some type of “wow” factor throughout. Such scenes are simply too gross for my taste (one involving a elephant at the beginning of the film) and, while it creates that “shock and awe” feeling, just creates a bad and disgusting way for Chazelle to get his point across.

The third act of the film also become problematic as it takes a somewhat detour in the narrative being told in the movie’s first two acts. While the beginning and middle portion of Babylon is presented in showcasing the glitzy, glamour, and rambunctiousness that Hollywood has to offer, Chazelle veers completely off into some bizarre and obscure territory. I vaguely understand, especially since the movie does focus on two of the three main characters during this point, but it sort of ends up being a bit too dark, unsettling, and distracting from the main story being told. It’s as if Chazelle had an idea for the film’s third act, but decided to change up. It’s just quite jarring to me and, while the macabre and uncomfortableness of this part plays up to “sign of the times” underworld in Hollywood, it just ends up being too much of a curve ball that deviates from what could’ve been. Thus, I wasn’t a fan of much of Babylon’s third act.

Lastly, the movie’s ending drags on way too long. I do get, appreciate, and understanding of the symbolism that Chazelle wanted to covey in Babylon’s final moments, but it just seem to drag on and on. That artistic flourishes and dramatic poise definitely lends cinematic nuances to the proceedings, but the last seven or eight minutes felt really dragged out and tedious. Again, I get it what Chazelle envisioned, but it comes off as too distracting, especially when the film’s finality flashes modern and abstract arts depictions, which I don’t fully get. It’s as if Chazelle need justification to have the feature run longer and threw in such wonky imagery. Basically, the ending of Babylon does find meaning (loved the flashes of popular films and movies throughout the future decades), but feels too long, boring, and overextends the movie with such a bland taste.

The cast in Babylon is indeed an expansive one, with a wide range of familiar / recognizable acting talent that have been assembled for this Hollywood drama epic. That being said, while it was enjoyable to see all the actors and actresses in the film, there character (sometimes) feels rather clunky or missed out on some type of involvement in Babylon’s grand scheme of the rise and fall of talent during this era

For the most part, Chazelle and his team focuses on the narrative threads that surround the film’s main trio of characters, which includes the young and upcoming actress Nellie LaRoy, the rising man in the “Hollywood business” world Manny Torres, and the popular / seasoned actor Jack Conrad, who are played by actress Margot Robbie, and actor Diego Calva and Brad Pitt respectfully. Let’s examine each of these narrative threads. Much like her character in the film, Robbie, who is known for her roles in Suicide Squad, Amsterdam, and The Wolf on Wall Street, has indeed become a rising star in today’s

 Hollywood, appearing in many high profile feature films of late and solidified her status in Tinseltown. She does so again with her portrayal of Nellie LaRoy, a young and brash upcoming actress who wants her ”big break” in Hollywood’s fame. True enough, much of the movie focuses on her character, which almost makes Nellie the true main star of Chazelle’s Babylon, especially since we (the viewers) watch her “rise and fall” in her career. Robbie definitely embraces spunk and determination through her nuances portrayals of Nellie in the beginning and then levels of frustration and aimlessness when things begin to take over and her career starts to turn in a different direction. She’s definitely the focal point of the movie (there is no denying that), and I think that Robbie does a good job in that role. There could’ve been more to her character in the second act (i.e. more depth, more substance), but I felt that she was the most developed as we (the viewer) follow her journey from onset to conclusion.

Likewise, the character of Manny Torres is another pivotal character that we follow throughout the movie and finding his “rise” in Hollywood within his character arc as the narrative progresses. While not as household / recognizable name amongst his costars, Calva, who is known for his roles in Bonded, The Inmate, and I Promise You Anarchy, does showcase a good dose of eagerness and willingness in Manny’s journey throughout the series of events that occur in Babylon’s story, which sees his character takes opportune chance to build his legacy in Hollywood. He’s almost like the “outside person looking in” as his character conveys both the chaotic madness and business dealings with dealing with problematic events and proposes from actors / studio executives. Perhaps the big downside to Manny is that his character (as written) has a lot of underdevelopment throughout the main plot. Mostly, he just runs around doing various stuff / tasks in the first half, which doesn’t offer much interest, with more focus put on Nellie and Jack. Even when the story focus more on Manny (towards the latter half), he becomes a bit more important, but still lacks a fully understanding, which loses the impactful meaning of the character. Still, I think that Calva did a pretty good job, despite how the character was written.

The last of the main trio is that the character of Jack Conrad, with Pitt, who is known for his roles in Fight Club, 12 Monkeys, and Moneyball, able to almost “ham it up” perfectly as the sometimes arrogant and self-confident “big ticketed” star. To be sure, Pitt is having fun playing such a role and definitely is great embodiment of the character; finding his portrayal of Conrad to his liking. It’s not really a role that would challenge Pitt’s acting capability nor his most memorable performance in his career, but he surely encompasses such “larger than life” bravado as the big 

time actor of the silent movies. Plus, he does get a few laughs in an around the movie. That being said, the character of Jack Conrad sort of feels like the “third wheel” of the main trio, especially with Robbie’s Nellie and Calva’s Manny taking more of the primary focus of the feature. Yes, Conrad is important during the beginning of the film, but, as the story progresses, the script start weed out his character’s importance, despite having a large importance in the ”changing of the guard” in Hollywood. Of course, Pitt is up to it and his screen presence and charisms clearly shows that, but, in truth, I believe that the character of Jack Conrad could’ve been eliminated from Babylon’s final cut and still retain the same fundamentals that Chazelle was looking for in this lengthy drama.

Another character that also seems to be having mixed feelings about is found in the character James McKay, a seedy and dangerous crime boss that becomes mixed up with Nellie’s affairs, and who is played by actor Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man and The Great Gatsby). I don’t discredit the acting that Maguire does with the character, which is definitely creepy and unsettling (that was attention) and I think pulls it off great. My problem with the character James McKay is that he doesn’t quite fit correctly into Babylon’s narrative, especially since he comes towards the very end (one of the last important characters) to be introduced and just feels like an unnecessary, tacked on plot point.

As stated, the movie heavily focuses on the threads of Jack, Nellie, and Manny throughout much of the feature’s lengthy runtime, which is disappointing because the next group of characters seemed like they were in need of more screen time and had a far better storyline plot to follow on in Babylon’s tale. Such characters like Sidney Palmer, an African American jazz trumpet player who gets his chance at stardom, yet faces controversy during that rise, Lady Fay Zhu, an exotic Asian entertainer whose sexual frivolities and display gets shunned by the changing attitude in Hollywood, and Elinor St. John, a seasoned Hollywood journalist who has more insight on the ever changing landscape of Hollywood than everyone else, who are played by actor Jovan Adepo (The Leftovers and Fences) and actresses Li Jun Li (Modern Persuasion and Quantico) and Jean Smart (Hacks and Youth in Revolt) respectfully. Of course, the acting performances from Adepo, Li, and Smart are very dynamic and well-rounded, which lends the credibly to their characters, which makes it that much more the shame that these particular individuals weren’t fully expanded upon in the film. The potential is there and actually delve into some great “meaty” character / story substance that the script could’ve sunk its teeth into for some more diverse / intriguing character growth and / or evolution to explore within these three roles. Unfortunately, they mostly get sidelined in the movie and are interwoven (in minor capacity) throughout the main trio’s storylines, which (again) is the most disappointing aspect and such a wasted of a missed opportunity.

The rest of the cast, including actor Rory Scovel (I Feel Pretty and Robbie) as shifty “on-set” dealer named The Count, actor Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight and Inherent Vice) as Nellie’s father Robert Roy, actress Samara Weaving (Snake Eyes and Bill & Ted Face the Music) as the rival actress to Nellie Constance Moore, actress Olivia Wilde (Don’t Worry Darling and Rush) as Jack’s ex-wife Ina Conrad, actress Katherine Waterson (Steve Jobs and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) as Jack’s second wife Estelle, actress Olivia Hamilton (First Man and Hold Fast, Good Luck) as film director Ruth Adler, actor P.J. Byrne 

The Wolf on Wall Street and Bombshell) as Ruth assistant director Max, actor Lukas Haas (Witness and The Revenant) as George Munn, actor Max Minghella (Social Network and The Internship) as Irving Thalberg, director / producer Spike Jonze (Jackass: The Movie and Her) as German film director Otto Von Strassberger, actor Cutty Cuthbert (Brooklyn Knight and Apology Day) as Jimmy, actor Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm and Wall-E) as studio executive Don Wallach, musician / actor Flea (Baby Driver and Obi-Wan Kenobi) as Bob Levine, actor Ethan Suplee (The Butterfly Effect and Remember the Titans) as Wilson, actor Telvin Griffin (Night Into Day and The Bold and the Beautiful) as Reggie, actress Chloe Fineman (Saturday Night Live and Men Don’t Whisper) as Marion Davies, actress Phoebe Tonkin (Bait and Tomorrow, When the War Began) as Jane Thornton, actor Troy Metcalf (The Middle and Baskets) as Orville Pickwick, actress Jennifer Grant (Savage and Movie Stars) as Mildred Yates, actor Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous and Robert the Bruce) as Officer Elwood, actor Pat Skipper (Bosch and The X-Files) as William Randolph Hearst, actress Kaia Gerber (American Horror Story and The Great Gatsby Live Read!) as Starlet, actress Karen Bethzabe (Listen and Death and Cremation) as Silvia Torres, actress Sarah Ramos (Ask for Jane and

The Boy Downstairs) as Harriet Rothschild, actor Alexandre Chen (The Hit and Insight) as James Wong Howe, and actress Taylor Hill (Good on Paper and The Broken Hearts Gallery) as Rebecca, are delegated to minor supporting characters in the movie. With such sprawling cast to explore and come in and out of Babylon’s narrative, most of these particular characters only have anywhere between one / two scenes to a handful of scenes in the film. Nevertheless, most (if not all) of these acting talents do give solid performances, despite their limited screen time or (a few) underdeveloped character motives, with most just having one-type of character personas. True enough, some do warrant further expansion and, given the movie’s incredibly long runtime, could’ve easily done so.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Decadence, debauchery, and dreams clash and collide in an expansive tale of finding fame and fortune in Tinseltown and the pitfalls that follow in the movie Babylon. Director Damien Chazelle’s latest film takes a look at the wild and glitzy era of late 20s / 30s of Hollywood by following several character threads through their struggles and triumphs in following their passions and making an impact on the industry’s legacy. Unfortunately, while Chazelle’s vision (and scope) is epic and ambitious and the movie does have a story to tell as well as having an amazing production value (set-pieces, décor, costumes, hair / make-up, etc.), the rest of the movie falters underneath that own ambitions, especially in the direction for the movie, the gross out moments, excessive runtime length, lost subplots, 

cumbersome (and clunky) third act, predictable nuances, lazy writing, and weak characters, and underutilized / mismanagement of acting talent involved. Personally, I was disappointed with this movie. Yes, there are some elements that I did like in its subplot narrative and the themes of “changing times” in Hollywood as well as the solid production quality of the feature. That being said, the rest of the movie was totally loud, abrasive, messy, wonky, and a meandering misfire. It was a sprawling epic, but not in the good way, and, despite everyone involved from the cast and director attached to

 the project, that’s the disappointing part. Thus, my recommendation for this movie is a dispirited “skip it”, for I can clearly see the potential of Chazelle’s vision for this movie, but it gets lost within its own narrative. In the end, Babylon has such aspiring ambitions in its way of cinematic storytelling within its characters, its tale being told, and a love letter to the ”Old Hollywood” dream, but sadly ends up being a sorely beautiful disaster