Cinephile No. 1,356 “Megadoc”
Recommendation: 3/5 Stars
Plot: “A behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis (2024).” -IMDB
Review: Francis Ford Coppola is a gifted filmmaker who has given us some of the most important, interesting, revolutionary films in the history of cinema. He is a titan, and his impact on the art of cinema has reverberated throughout the entire industry. There is no filmmaker alive today who has not been influenced by his artistry. When he creates, the world of cinema pays attention. Lovers of the art form, people like me, pay attention.
For more than 40 years, Coppola has dreamed of bringing “Megalopolis” to the big screen. With several iterations of the project, he approached studio after studio about funding the project. They all passed. Undeterred, he decided to fund the project himself to the tune of $120 million, plus marketing expenses. The completed film made a little over $14 million at the worldwide box office, a cataclysmic failure.
But why? Why did this film lose so much money? In the opinion of this critic, the film was simply awful. There is no other way for me to put it. Its story is bloated. The acting is often borderline unwatchable. Many roles are miscast. It is obviously attempting to tell an ancient story using a modern framework, but the writing is unengaging, and so is the delivery. The only bright spots for this film might be the cinematography, Adam Driver’s performance, and the direction.
For me, such disappointment raises a lot of questions. “Megadoc” attempts to pull back the curtain on the process of making a movie that obviously meant so much to one of Hollywood’s most esteemed directors.
As you watch this film, one of the first things that becomes apparent is that there is no one telling Coppola, no. As the financier, writer, director, and visionary behind the project, no one checks his power. His legacy casts a mighty shadow across the project. In so many ways, this is understandable. This is a creator who has done so much to advance the medium of filmmaking. When he speaks of this project, he speaks of advancing the medium again. That is intoxicating. Coupled with the weight of legacy, how is anyone supposed to feel brave enough to push back?
Now, I must admit, I didn’t choose to watch this documentary because I wanted to witness a train wreck with my own eyes. Well, that was not my only reason. I am an unapologetic suck for a movie about a movie, and I love documentaries about the process of making movies. Director Mike Figgis, an accomplished filmmaker in his own right, gives us film nerds to chew on in this move. We see the jazz of making movies. We see filmmaking as a negotiation. We see production assistants, actors, cinematographers, and other members of the crew working hard to solve complex challenges, all in hopes of bringing Coppola’s vision to reality.
For me, this behind-the-scenes approach was enthralling. It was fascinating to watch a director like Mike Figgis watch another director like Coppola work. As we witness chaos consume the set on more than one occasion, I could not help but wonder what must be going through the mind of Figgis.
In the end, “Megadoc” is a captivating documentary. It did not make me like “Megalopolis” anymore. Instead, it broke my heart. Making movies is hard. It involves thousands of attempts at solving complex practical and artistic challenges. That any movie gets made is a miracle. This is why I give movies some grace, even the bad ones. “Megalopolis” is a bad movie that could have been great if it had been born in a more collaborative environment by a group of people committed to a singular idea. Instead, we will get an ill-conceived film that will serve as a cautionary tale for other filmmakers.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
As a member of the factory, you are taking a stand for human powered creation.
