Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis" divides critics at Cannes

The script had been ready for decades, the budget was pulled from his own (vast) pocket, and the critics' expectations were huge. Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis" finally had its premiere in Cannes.

The 85-year-old creator of cinematic masterpieces like "The Godfather," "Dracula," and "Apocalypse Now" made us wait quite a few years for his latest film. And journalists knew from frequent updates about the scale of the latest work that it was worth waiting for. We’re talking about "Megalopolis."

The script for the film was already written in the 1980s, which is considered the period of the director's most excellent creativity. At that time, the grand project was not realized financially. Since then, the concept has been surrounded by legends and speculations. Coppola, however, achieved his goal and made the film.

The film is announced as an epic tale of political ambitions, set in a utopian vision of New York, referred to as New Rome (aesthetically resembling the grandeur associated with this city), destroyed by disaster. From this short description alone, one can conclude that this is not a modest film with a budget of only 50 million US dollars. Coppola reached deep into his pocket for 120 million to go through with his opus magnum. However, there is no need to worry about his possible bankruptcy, as the funds came from selling just a part of the rights to the family vineyard.

A significant part of the enormous budget of "Megalopolis" likely consisted of star salaries. The cast includes notable names like Adam Driver (whose participation in anything already brings good reviews), Aubrey Plaza (still playing the same character, but with great charm), and Shia LaBeouf, who may redeem himself from recent controversies with this film.

The film had its long-awaited premiere on Thursday evening at the ongoing festival in Cannes. It’s most honest to say that "Megalopolis" divided critics. Some call the film bold and epic, while others find it surprisingly shallow. An author from "The Guardian" even described it as "mega boring and mega pretentious"! Meanwhile, right after the screening, the audience in tuxedos and evening gowns rose to their feet to applaud the creator and the cast. According to Variety, the ovation lasted seven minutes.

It's hard to predict today whether the applause was because it is appropriate to honor such a legendary creator, approaching 90, for still dedicating his life to cinema or whether "Megalopolis" is truly an outstanding film. Viewers will find out when the film hits wide theatrical distribution.