There will be no star rating for this film, and I truly believe that whatever rating you give to this film is the correct one, as long as you can discuss it openly with anyone who disagrees. This film was made to be “watched on New Years Eve”, a time of renewal, and to inspire discussions about whether the society we have created for ourselves is the optimal one, by asking grander questions about the position in life we find ourselves in.

Megalopolis, rather than marking the new era of cinema that Francis Ford Coppola always dreamed of, is a singular film, and, unfortunately, probably the last film like it for the foreseeable future. A film where the director was the sole person in charge of every single element with no outside pressure for the entire four decades of production, as well as the marketing, which meant that Coppola had to dish out over $120 million of his own money to finance the film.

It's therefore unsurprising that Megalopolis is about passion and mortality, themes that pierce through the film and show the real heart of an 85-year-old man bringing a dream he had been talking about for over half his life to fruition. Much of the criticism around the film has noted that the box office opening has been one the worst for a film with a budget of over $100 million, but I feel the only worthy criticism that can involve these statistic is the unfortunate fact that it will dissuade studios from investing in riskier projects that they have little control over. With an estimated marketing budget for Megalopolis around 20 million dollars, Coppola clearly wanted people to see this film for the rest of time, not just for the opening weekend.

“Despite the Shakespearean plots of greed and lust, the film concludes with the idea of children coming into a better future”

The film follows Cesar Catalina, a great architect who has the ability to pause time. To the public, he is a Nobel Prize winning visionary, to his cousin he is “hot”, and to his arch nemesis he is a “megalomaniac”. Our architect is up against mayor Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), as he falls in love with his daughter (Nathalie Emmanuel), and is chased by the TV Host Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza). Overflowing with ideas, the film includes chariot races, QR code bids on a fake, industry-plant virgin musician who wears an invisible dress and says “you can see right through me”. Cousins dance intimately to Fred Again, and Marcus Aurelius quotes are read verbatim and the film is far funnier than it has any right to be.

Catalina dreams of building a utopia, inspired by the city around him, but he is hounded by familial jealousies and bureaucratic hindrances on his desires for a better future. Despite the Shakespearean plots of greed and lust, the film concludes with the idea of children coming into a better future, ending with optimism and hope. After all, the baby that ends the film is named “Sunny Hope”.

However, this desired sense of optimism appears scarcely, apart from in the final scene, making the ending feel like a deleted scene from a long-discarded plot line. But the same could be said for every scene and yet it still works together so well as a narrative; the film is surprisingly clear and simple to follow, which in itself is a feat I am yet to understand. The reason the ending didn’t hit the emotional euphoric notes for me is the people in the film representing the general public are presented as so malleable, like tools for the elite with no real basis. You don’t feel emotionally attached to their success, but rather the multi-faceted characters presented to us as the elite are the ones we care about, eagerly anticipating their downfall alongside Catalina’s success.

“I challenge anyone to tell me when they think a particular scene happened in the film and be within twenty minutes of the answer, or to remember what came before and after the scene”

The film is one of the most visually stunning movies from recent years with some incredible shots; I couldn’t help thinking they presented us the best Gotham City ever put to screen.  Coppola really succeeds in enveloping you in a feeling with Megalopolis, utilising mood as a plot device, without letting you lose track of the narrative, no small thanks to Osvaldo Golijov's score. It didn't feel ‘worked’, or ‘out of place’, as it felt as though nothing in the film had a specific place.

The tone of the film is suddenly and briefly shattered so often that there is really no tone or feel, except for the fantastical atmosphere of perfume adverts. While to some this leaves them feeling as if the film is dreadfully confounding, I greatly enjoyed the hallucination of vivid and bold ideas. I challenge anyone to tell me when they think a particular scene happened in the film and be within twenty minutes of the answer, or to remember what came before and after the scene.

Certain quotes stick with the audience, with the almost certainly seminal “don’t let the now destroy the forever” resonating throughout the film. Coppola preaches for us to not let our immediate desires get in the way of a grander scheme, and instead, like a fable, asks we focus on the lives of our children, and future generations. It was fun, original, and never boring. What else can we possibly use to apply merit to a film? Sure it was bewildering, but a more accurate word would be staggering. Francis Ford Coppola certainly loves cinema, and you will certainly be asking questions, like do I love this film ? So I ask you, watch this film, please.