Megalopolis * * ½

There was one cherry on the cake. Just one...

I thought Francis Ford Coppola was retired. I can't remember the last time I had seen a film from him, but if he's not thinking about it, one might encourage Franc to retire after his latest effort.

What a pompous, silly, bloated production this is!  No wonder it's getting terrible reviews.

After sitting through its 140 minute running time, this is the story as best I can make out : There is a city in the future (looks a lot like New York) that is called New Rome. Similarly the rulers of that city are rather like the rulers of Roma in the days of Cesar, Cicero etc.  In fact they have the same names. And like those old Roman guys, ruling New Rome is all very dynastic and family orientated. 

They all live indulgent lives and wear fabulous clothes. And there is constant plotting for takeovers from one part of the family. 

"Megalopolis" is a proposed city within the city of New Rome that Cesar wishes to build.  It's going to be a city like no other: modern but beautiful. A place where art not money will prioritise how it serves the residents. He is opposed by Mayor Cicero who'd rather build a casino.  

Meanwhile there are all the spoilt daughters, cousins, brothers, powerful uncles, seductive aunts along with vestal virgins, all a bit like Caligula.  Basically it's a soap opera with pretensions.   The most pretentious (and lazy) part being the dialogue which uses slabs of texts and quotes from other sources to make itself sound intelligent and important.

By the way, in space there is a USSR space capsule that is going to crash soon - probably on New Rome but no one seems to be much bothered about that. Oh, and just for the sake of extra weirdness Cesar has the ability  to stop time.  Yes, of course, whatever.

Personally I found it quite boring and uninvolving. It's only the visual spectacles that kept me there.  They're good, I'll give it that. I can't give it much else.