BABYLON - Movie Review 

“the corks are popping and the titties are flopping.” that was iconic 😂

Your review of Babylon is the most analytical, and empathetic with what the director's vision was. I loved how you thematically tied Hollywood's struggles with its present day malaise. Smart and interesting with wonderful metaphors. Keep it up!

It's weird because I know this movie has so many flaws but I still loved it

3 videos in 3 days?!? It’s a Christmas miracle! 🎄🥂

First time viewing a video on your channel. I subscribed and liked. Your insights are refreshing. A movie doesn't need to be great to find a place in your soul.

It's been a decade since Tobey Maguire has been in another eccentric movie about the lavished parties and lifestyle of the 1920s. I wonder which one he's gonna be in next decade.

''It's constipated thematically in terms of what it's wanting to express''. You're a genius, truly.

I don't get the whole pleasing Hollywood thing with La La Land. It was trying to be a love letter to the every man and woman who struggle to achieve their dreams. It just used Hollywood because that's the most appealing subject for that kind of story. It's just as, if not more, personal than Whiplash as I'm sure he was in the same position as the characters early in his career and I could see people wanting to become musicians, actors, filmmakers, etc. because they were inspired after seeing it.

I did genuinely enjoy this film. It has plenty of flaws, but I had the best time. My favorite aspects were anything involving Brad Pitt or Margot Robbie. My least favorite aspect was that entire scene with Tobey Maguire. The aspects that frustrated me were the supporting characters. They seem interesting, but needed to be fleshed out much more. Overall, it’s like an ex where you see the red flags months after a breakup, but damn….they were a blast.

My favorite part was when Margot Robbie fought the snake! 😅

You described this film perfectly. The excesses of the 1920's in Hollywood is truly amazing. I loved the film.

I loved every second of this movie. It’s an epic “love” letter to Hollywood and it’s evolution over time. I actually found it to be pretty focused on what it was trying to say, even though it got repetitive.

The Dick Cavett show was the best I love watching those old talk shows... There were so many great characters....

Sadly I won't get this film in my country until January so I am glad your review of it doesn't give major plot points away. I wasn't entirely sure whether to watch it in the cinema but some of the reviews definitely changed my mind.

Oh, the thrill of behaving badly! Not surprising to me, but very interesting all the same. Speaking of Christmas movies; my wife and I went to see Scarface on Christmas day, 1983, and found a packed house of mostly children.

Its The Great Gatsby meets the Wolf of Wall Street meets Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

I agree the his best is whiplash,probably my favorite talent of obsession,not for perfection like black swan but for legacy which I find more relatable,I'll still check this out but it's a shame that he may start to lose his touch because he had a promising start

I just discovered your channel and love it. Honestly, this is the best critique of „Babylon“ I‘ve heard or seen yet. I loved this movie and it impressed me despite its flaws that you pinpoint so perfectly.

You said that you were really into the 1920s. Please review some of the silent classics from that decade. I think the 1920s were on par with 1970s as far as greatest film decades go.

I loved the tobey maguire sequence and half of that probably had to do with the music and red lighting. This was one of my favorites of the year but I do agree it kinda made me want to go back and rewatch Boogie Nights lol

Just ordered the blu ray as this film really intrigues me. Great review as always.

I worked on Babylon for 4 days. "La La Land" is my favorite film and Babylon was my most anticipated media project of the decade so far (besides Top Gun: Maverick) before worked on it, this production was a full circle/360 experience. The best job of my life and 1 of the best, happiest and greatest days/times/experiences of my life. This was a dream come true. I watched it yesterday (only 1 in the theater/no distractions), what a surreal/magical experience. I'm also in 4 or so shots 👌. Thanks for watching everyone! Can't wait for all of you to see what we've created!

Wow, this review floored me. Subscribed and cannot wait to hear more from you!

where did you start when researching the stories from the 1920s? is there any other youtube interviews? maybe some articles?

Your increased production is very welcomed (lapel mic and lighting).

I finally realized what the biggest structural problem with that script was.. how we felt like the relationship between Pitt and Robbie’s characters was actually going to develop after his big pool party scene.. and yet after that scene those two characters have hardly anything to do with eachother for the rest of the film.. which leaves you with a deep feeling of “WTF was the point of the plot spending so much leading those two together.. when their relationship went absolutely nowhere.. sigh.. all the performances were still great though🎉

I can’t stop thinking about Babylon despite how I wish I could have been in the editing room to trim some fat to make it more focused. Like you, I seem to favor it more than less flawed films recently. Love the Casino comparison.

I love this mess of a film. Elvis Costello, in his 2002 song "Episode of Blonde," sang "If the failure is great / Then it tends to fascinate," and after hearing that at the age of 17 that year, it resonated with me and became part of my aesthetic preferences. Like you, give me the big swings, the epic arrogances. Probably why I love the films of Richard Kelly, and also UNDER THE SILVER LAKE, etc,

Just saw it, great review. I was constantly thinking how ambitious but messy it was. I enjoyed some of it but it was too long. I do respect the "shooting for the stars" even though it fell short. I hope Chazelle will be going back to smaller scale movies like Whiplash again.

Finally saw this movie on your recommendation. Loved every frame of it.

i hope you make a review for the whale, i loved that movie so much and i’m curious to see your thoughts

Babylon should win Best Picture.🔥

Wonderful review. So brilliantly put.

I was unsure about this movie, but upon hearing your review, I'll give it a try. I really enjoy your reviews.

First time channel view…just watched Babylon an hour ago…was trying to digest without reading a review but decided to watch this. I think your spot on with many of your points, although I respectfully disagree with your music takes. Something about the movie was more bluster than substance and you helped me articulate that. Thanks! Will check out more videos 👍🏽👏🏼🙏🏼

maggie i would love to hear your opinion about Aftersun.. this is easily one of the best and most original films of recent years

I know this is late but just saw it on Prime. It’s close to a masterpiece ….he swings for the fences so to speak for sure. Call it a flawed masterpiece ..A- for me . Thanks for your review.

Bit of a jumbled mess, emotionally it didn't land at all, but I completely agree it was cool to see a very formal and tame director let loose and have a blast lol worth a watch for that alone

Thanks for the review. Do you have any opinions about AI art?

I'm wondering, are there any movies in the last like 5 years or so that you think actually chewed on and dealt with the ideas they were attempting to deal with properly? Just seems like it's been a while since I've heard you talk about something new that actually lives up to its goals...

I think this is the first youtube video with "Babylon" in it's title that I've watched that wasn't a deep-schizo theorycrafting conspiracy video. Anyhoo, I definitely wanna see this movie now. I've never even heard of it before this vid, but I loved the Hollywood Babylon book by Kenneth Anger & this sounds like it'd scratch that same itch

I really liked it I had a blast admittedly it isn’t for everyone but damn it’s flawed heavily flawed but I had a blast

I would love to know more films that capture that feel you described at the beginning ( 0:24 )

I would be interested about yours review of Tár.

@deepfocuslens Thanks Much! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I saw it last weekend and I'm still trying to process this. Its Damien Chazelle channeling Paul Thomas anderson channeling Robert Altman. Its too long for sure, some of the scenes just didnt need to go for as long as they did but theres a lot I liked. Margot Robbie is immense, she seems to get better and better. Brad pitt is very good too, the film looks great and I think that score will be stuck in my head for a long time to come. La la land is one of my favorite films and whiplash holds up to repeated viewings but this.........I'll have to let it percolate for a time.

Can't wait for this one. Need your perspective on this one for sure.

anyone who's had a wild phase keeps it close to the vest if any of it would be frowned upon later on. that said, time to look into what the seniors got up to in their youth during the '20s.

I enjoyed this film in the most part. Recently purchased it on 4k. I like your reviews, too.

You pretty much summed up my feelings on this film perfectly. Great analysis.

big band Caravan slaps hard af tho. Neiman's character needed to climax in a more technically impressive way than what the Thelonious Monk version offers. Would have been super underwhelming tbh. I haven't seen Babylon yet. Got a friend who was an extra in it. I'm still gonna go check it out and I consider your critiques on point for the most part so I'll probably find myself agreeing as I watch it. I'm sure the community you've cultivated keeps you occupied with films to view. Here's one more: Steven Soderbergh's Schizopolis. His early work is weird as hell and there is quite a story to be told behind his transformation from whatever Schizopolis is to Ocean's. it's definitely one of those movies that film enthusiasts haven't discovered yet, but when they do, there's gonna be clickbaity three hour video essays about it.

If the Wolf of Wall Street and once upon a Time in Hollywood had a baby. They would have created Babylon!! 🤩🤩🤩

The first draft of the screenplay is a masterpiece. Loved the film but Chazelle failed to capture the brilliance he had on the page.

Where do you watch your movies from?

I agree with 95% of your review. I personally loved Babylon. I’ve seen it twice, and would love to watch it again. The soundtrack and cinematography were amazing. A love letter to Hollywood, totally!

I was the only person in the theater… what was the deal with the screen flashing blue over and over again at the very end??”

Have you seen the movie Empire of Light? You should make a review on that movie.

A perfect review - This is exactly how I saw the film too.

The John Legend jab 😂

Finally just caught it in Eastern Europe. There were many things to appreciate. And indeed there if one goes into this as a Baz Luhrmanesque Moulin Rouge type experience then it certainly has its moments. But musically, fashionwise, and for Hollywood corruptibility, none of it was right for the times. I agree with you that the characters feel inappropriate for the times. They don't talk anything like the 1930s. Margot Robbie is the exact opposite of the short firecracker smart, miniaturized mouths of the actresses of the times. The orgy seems much more like what was described of Abel Gance's La Fin du monde shoot in the 30s ... in France. Nevertheless I do expect to watch it again. One weird note, I was very pleased to see Margot Robbie and Samara Weaving play against each other briefly in a scene, since I've always felt they should play sisters sometime.

This movie is a weird one and I’m 100% in agreement comparing it to Casino and Boogie Nights. Both of those films are great despite not being masterpieces. I’d also say that as flawed as The Departed and Wolf of Wall Street are in that ultimately you feel like they’re good-not-great films, they are a blast to watch because they have enough great scenes to make them enjoyable in the aggregate. I have my criticisms about the film. It feels over the top, it’s hedonistic, but feels superficial, it could be trimmed, there are elements that feel out of place, it’s ambitious but doesn’t know where it wants us to focus. But in the end, I had a blast and I’m going to rewatch the film. It throws a lot at you and some of it doesn’t work, but my god, the sound stage scene alone is one of the best sequences I’ve seen in ages. Spike Jonze in his farcical role as a Von Stroheim-esque director and that whole chaotic energy of the silent films being shot, it’s pure energy. The film works in ways I normally don’t respond to. Like the whole rattlesnake set piece. I normally roll my eyes at that kind of over the top, cartoonish kind of work. It is borderline “eye bulging and hitting you over the head” but he knows how to find a tone that works. The Tobey Maguire portion also rides that line at times, but it works. And that’s why I love this movie. It’s imperfect and unfocused but it is a blast that somehow stands apart from the way Baz Luhrman revels in excess and spectacle. And that’s why it’s earned my respect.

Now t hat you mention it . I wouldn't mind watching a 6 hour uncut version if it's better. I still haven't seen his movie yet cuz I have so many others to look at but...... I'd watch the uncut 6 hour version if there is one If it makes the movie better.

I loved this movie, i normally don’t like these “Hollywood celebrating themselves” type films but Babylon had this really bonkers energy to it and even though if call it messy, I would say it’s a beautiful mess. I loved the Tobey maguire scenes by the way, it kindof came out of nowhere and turned into a horror movie for a little bit which I really liked. Seen it twice now and thoroughly enjoyed the wacky ride it took me on.

The Dumbo dookie set the tone of the movie perfectly. I kept thinking that Damien Chazelle was trying to get fired. As if he's done with Hollywood and this is middlefinger to the industry.

Wow , your references, your way to smart for this day and age.

I need to see this. This and The Whale.

I thought the movie did an excellent job of showing the collision of art and commerce in Hollywood. Certain individuals are chosen by the system to be elevated to demi-gods but they are at its essence disposable commodities. The result is occasionally great beauty but the price is very high. I watched it after reading the dreary initial reviews and was shocked at its depth-it worked for me

THIS MOVIE WAS FUCKING WILD!!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯 LOVED IT.

I agree with this review I enjoyed it I felt Diego and Pitt acted their butter offs I honestly felt sad for brads character because how the trailer presented him dancing up the stairs felt completely different. But it's far from perfect

You should check out Glass Onion, it was so entertaining!

You should try to watch "threads" its a very good movie about a realistic nuclear Apocalypse. But be warn, it's very brutal.

Will you be reviewing Bardo from Netflix?

This was the best theater experience all year. Made me feel horrified and laugh my ass off. Great dialogue and poop jokes. It was just jazz as a movie.

Love your stuff! Please do Rushmore!!!

I really liked the film as a critique of Hollywood however the ending confuse me a lot and I didn't enjoy it.

You have to watch the movie Aftersun, directed by Charlotte Wells

I just got back from this film and I hated it so much lol. To me it felt very much like a cynical scree of "oh you like movies? you like old hollywood? Well THIS is what old hollywood was all about? Do you still fucking like it? look at THIS! this is what it was like!" only for the very end to do a 180 and go "but actually it's not that bad right? movies are great and hollywood is great. the end." and I just hated the assaultive experience in service of seemingly nothing.

musical score is top notch. 5 Star.

It wasn’t a fun time for everybody. Believe me when I tell you. A lot of people suffered back then. They were still doing lynching back in those times. Not everyone got to live the highlife.

Sure it's a little all over the place but so is EEAAO and somehow everyone loved it and wasn't bothered by it. I didn't find anything in Babylon to be contrived at all. It was such an incredible experience. La La Land was so trite and corny. The writing was actually really bad. Babylon on the other hand had outstanding writing, and the music is really something else. (Also, side note on how the writing and costumes were not actually of the 1920s -- wasn't that a very clear artistic choice? It was very clear it was not trying to actually look or sound like the 1920s but was rather a fusion with the modern.)

Marry Christmas to you!

I must have missed something here... But, isn't John Legend's character in La La Land supposed to be a sellout?

Technical talent, but I feel like it gets in the way of the art sometimes..

Wonderful reviwe 🎉

Agree about the ending. Felt out of place and going from the main character, to that, and back again just made it even more jarring

This movie feels the way it feels to be around Mormon's swearing. Also, he had no idea what he was trying to say with the trumpet player, he played into all his critiques of the industry for black people. The guy was a trumpet player, that's it, no other parts of his character was explored, and the movie was critiquing Hollywood for having forced black characters.....

I enjoy how "Deep Focus" speaks liberal arts college "artspeak," then randomly throws in moments of vulgarity (e.g."t-tties start floppin'!). She seems to contradict herself, criticizing the movie for the insertion of "modern characters" yet wanting the movie to incorporate a modern value system! Enjoy her reviews.

Very good review! thanks for sharing beautiful lady😘😘😘 xox

Well, it it takes 3 hours of my life to see it, it better be a masterpiece and one of the best movies ever made....

i was hoping that this was babylon berlin

Help! where can i watch Babylon?

Review After Sun please!

Social Network is the best film of that decade, by far.

I think Babylon is a 7.5 out of 10 film. It could have been done better, but it was hard work, lots of content, and a spectacle, and very long due to the amount of content. I don't think it'll ever be a classic, but it might be a cult classic. Margot Robbie or Jean Smart might actually win an award. Especially Jean Smart. Her last delivered lines of the film with Brad Pitt was masterfully. I believed everything she said in that scene.

I'm 10 minutes into watching this movie on Paramount Plus and had to watch some reviews to see if I was crazy for not liking it. Guess I'm not. 😂

This movie is a masterpiece and time will prove that fact.

That intro ! Wow

Ya know. The movie made me laugh, and I find it very interesting, yet I didn't enjoy it. Cinematically it was mesmerizing, and I accept it as great art. I didn't walk away offended, I knew what I was getting into, the amount of debauchery just desensitizes the experience. Of coarse the movie doesn't feel new, it's a composite of many charecters and stories of the bible written into a similar landscape within a different time reference. Like Lot I have to walk away and not look back.

11:36 Was hoping you were going to say "We've seen them done so much better....more bite and less BARF."

I felt this was the best film of 2022. Not for everyone but amazing!