Babylon
Continuing this run of films about the "roaring '20s" is Damien Chazelle's Babylon , which released in 2022 and is an epic scale story about Hollywood's move from silent films to 'talkies' and the impact it had while focusing on a number of characters who are based upon real stars from the era. Sometimes Hollywood telling stories about itself can feel self-indulgent but Chazelle clearly worked very hard to ensure this was far from a rose-tinted window to the past. The primary story follows Margot Robbie's destructive actress who finds a break in the industry while silent films are still king and her story is interweaved with Diego Calva's studio assistant who dreams of making a meaningful career in the industry, and then there's Brad Pitt's aging star who sees the impending change of sound as a threat to his stardom. Babylon is best described as a wild ride told across 189 minutes as we see chaos unfold around the Hollywood hills. When Ch...
