Film@BirrTheatre is back for its 2023 season, bringing you the best of Irish, world and independent cinema on the theatre’s big screen. This week, we shine the spotlight on Babylon, the highly anticipated film released in 2022. Directed by the brilliant Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land, First Man) and featuring an all-star cast, this movie takes us on a journey through Hollywood's Golden Age, exploring the highs and lows of ambition, fame, and love. It's Chazelle's love letter to cinema.
Babylon gracefully transports us back to the glitzy and glamorous world of 1920s Hollywood, during the era of silent films and the transition to talkies. The film's meticulous attention to detail, stunning costumes, and remarkable set designs immerse the audience in the historical backdrop, capturing the essence of Hollywood's Golden Age. The visual experience alone is enough to transport us to a bygone era, but Babylon goes beyond mere aesthetics.
Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie give two of the best performances of their entire careers and are magnetic whenever they're on-screen. Beyond them, Diego Calva plays the film's central character, and is just as great as his more famous co-stars. Elsewhere, there are a ton of fun appearances from people who are only in a scene or two, including Tobey Maguire, Jean Smart, Samara Weaving, and Olivia Wilde.
Manny Torres (Diego Calva), is a Mexican immigrant in California, who helps transport an elephant to a stereotypically alcohol-fuelled, coke-enhanced 1920s Hollywood party. At the wild event, he meets with a rising star named Nellie La Roy (Margot Robbie) and finds himself in the middle of a scandal. As the pair's fortune changes, so does the film industry around them as movies shift from silence to sound.
Babylon's music is easy to praise. The score was composed by Justin Hurwitz, who has worked with Chazelle on all his feature films. It's an exciting and unpredictable score, expertly establishing several key themes early on, and consistently reworking and remixing them throughout the film.
Much of Babylon comes to a head in its bold, bizarre, and powerful ending. So, come and join us on Thursday at 8pm for this week's instalment of Film@BirrTheatre.
Commentaires