Legendary film director Francis Ford Coppola has criticised the current state of modern cinema. Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival press conference for his latest film, Megalopolis, Coppola suggested that major studios are more focused on paying off their high levels of debt rather than creating quality films. However, the director did offer hope for the industry, citing the potential positive impact of streaming services like Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft. Megalopolis was self-financed by Coppola and stars Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina, an architect-scientist aiming to improve a dystopian, fictional version of New York City known as New Rome.
Despite a mixed reaction from both audiences and critics, Megalopolis received a seven-minute standing ovation after its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. However, the film’s debut on Rotten Tomatoes has produced a 53 percent score. The Guardian described Megalopolis as “bloated, boring and bafflingly shallow.” The official synopsis presents Megalopolis as a movie set in “an imagined Modern America” where conflict arises over the need for change in the City of New Rome. Coppola’s stellar cast includes Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, Chloe Fineman, DB Sweeney, and Dustin Hoffman.
While Coppola remains critical of the film industry, he believes hope is possible as new companies like Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft enter the market with plenty of money. The film industry may be on the cusp of change, and Coppola continues to offer unique and lasting works that challenge the status quo. Megalopolis may not be a perfect film but it demonstrates Coppola’s willingness to explore large, intricate stories across genres while still producing a significant body of work for audiences to enjoy
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