Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt star in “Babylon”, the wild and chaotic film from the director of “La La Land”

It could be considered that Damien Chazelle recreates a story about the search for success, enjoying it for a while, and then falling into the harsh reality that everything is too ephemeral and more so in Hollywood. In this case, it is not a drummer as in whiplash; nor the story of a couple, each with their individual dreams and the clash between them, as in La la land: a love story. Here are three characters who cross paths in what seemed to be an endless party, but the evolution of cinema takes everything in its path. That’s how it is Babylon.

The context is Hollywood from a century ago, a short time before the transition from silent movies to talkies. The viewer will enter this story through the Mexican Diego Calva and his character, Manny, a man who wants to transcend and decides to be a producer. Parties, titanic projects, the excessive growth of the business and excesses are what reign in the first part of a film that has memorable moments on the big screen during its three hours.

With Manny, the viewer will get to know the madness of Hollywood in the 1920s, from almost cartoonish characters to big stars and other miserable people from that industry still in its infancy. Two of these will cross paths in the life of the Mexican: Jack Conrad, an established actor and one of the most important silent film stars played by Brad Pitt; and Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie), a young woman who will do whatever it takes to get a place in the big movies.

Through these three perspectives, from different registers and stages in their careers, Chazelle presents a story that never strikes the right balance between the lack of control plus the exaggeration of the beginning and the deep drama that colors the entire second part, but which is still enjoyable. in each of its stages. For example, the beginning is almost an hour of even absurd situations that reflect the euphoria that was experienced in the industry and its best version is a party that takes place after the first third of the film. Something good in the style of its director.

However, I return to the balance that I expressed above, Babylon at times it seems different. A deep drama about the fallen of the industry with the advent of talkies, the situations that reached the limit and the characters who lost themselves in the maelstrom of living that moment, with those people and that place. Not even the love story that is presented manages to hit the nail on the head, it is something quite ephemeral. Perhaps with this idea of ​​showing the clay of that time, with its repeated excesses and madness, the director wanted to represent it that way.

Regardless, it delivers iconic moments between the two parties, Nellie LaRoy’s opening scene, Tobey Maguire’s appearance, and Brad Pitt’s solo scenes. It is clear that Chazelle was carried away by this overflow to create a film that, without a doubt, will be remembered for great scenes and not so much for the final result of its story.

Babylon It arrived in theaters in Latin America in January, after opening on December 23 in the US.

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