Megalopolis

Just like the imagined urban utopia that fuels its futuristic story, Megalopolis almost crumbles under the weight of its bold and experimental vision.

There’s something to be said for legendary director Francis Ford Coppola getting his longtime, self-funded passion project to the finish line, even if the result is a muddled compilation of high-minded ideas with little regard for narrative coherence.

This sprawling epic about the linked follies of pervasive power, wealth, celebrity, superficiality, and consumerism deserves credit for thematic ambition as it blends cynicism about the present with optimism about the future. You get a thoughtful takedown of capitalist excess plus a rumination of the entire history of western civilization.

Both a fable and an allegory, the film draws blunt parallels between the ancient Roman Empire, just prior to its downfall, with a modern society overrun with corporate greed and sociopolitical corruption.

It’s set in an evocative near-future version of New York known as New Rome, where Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) is a young developer who claims he wants to completely reimagine the landscape and return control to the working class.

But is he just another one of the city’s ego-driven, misogynistic financiers — along with their morally bankrupt enablers and sycophants — either oblivious or indifferent to the ramifications of their arrogance and avarice?

He has to prove himself while earning the trust of Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), the idealistic daughter of a conservative mayor (Giancarlo Esposito) trying to generate cash with a casino project.

Cesar also faces a rivalry with his duplicitous cousin, Clodio (Shia LeBeouf), who seeks political office with an aggressively populist message fueled by divisive rhetoric.

Is redemption possible for these so-called leaders, both in terms of individual legacy and broader prosperity? For many moviegoers, a deeper emotional connection hinges on the outcome of Cesar’s existential journey. His hope becomes our hope.

As you’d expect, the film is a technical triumph of cinematography and production design, using sunlight to bathe its skyscrapers in gold. The ensemble cast includes Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, and Dustin Hoffman.

Coppola’s progressive screenplay too often detours into the weeds. We get everything from Shakespearean soliloquies to chariot races to general bacchanalia to peeks into the afterlife. The uneven storytelling, head-scratching gimmickry, and heavy-handed symbolism become frustrating.

Still, amid a cinematic marketplace saturated by franchises and retreads, the visual and intellectual imagination in Megalopolis is invigorating.

Rated R, 138 minutes.