Francis Ford Coppola’s controversial speech on the “Megalopolis” of Cannes

Movies

By Mara Siegler

Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” received a 10-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, but the film divides critics, many of whom even seem torn by their own opinions.

Coppola invested $120 million of his own money in the film starring Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman.

“I don’t care, I’ve never cared about money,” the 85-year-old director said at a press conference in Cannes. “At the end of the day, there are so many people who, when they die, say, ‘I wish I had done this, I wish I had done that.'”

He added: “But when I die, I’ll say, ‘I have to do this.’ I got to see my daughter (Sofia) win an Oscar, and I got to make wine, and I got to make all the movies I wanted to make. And I’m going to be so busy thinking about what to do that when I die, I won’t notice.

New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis called the move “a big step” but added, “I don’t think ‘Megapolis’ will be for everyone, but art rarely is.” She also wrote: “It admittedly took me some time to get used to both the dialogue and the performances, which, while not exactly alienating, seemed unsettling. »

Deadline called the film “something of a mess — undisciplined, over-the-top and drawn to pretension like a moth to a flame.” But it’s also a pretty breathtaking achievement, the work of a master artist who took to the Imax like Caravaggio to the canvas.

The review adds: “You might well wonder what Jason Schwartzman thinks he’s doing in this, or if Dustin Hoffman called his agent to negotiate a quick exit.”

The Hollywood Reporter asked, “Is this a good movie?” Not by far. But it’s also not a question that can be easily dismissed.”

The film’s synopsis says, “An architect wants to rebuild New York into a utopia after a devastating disaster,” but many critics seem confused. An online headline in New York Magazine asked, “What is a megalopolis?” »

Beyond all the confusing reviews, the buzz around the festival was around a Guardian article accusing Coppola of inappropriate behavior on the set of the film.

Anonymous sources claimed the director pushed women to sit on his lap and “tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras”, saying he was “trying to get them in the mood” .

Executive producer Darren Demeter denied the report, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “I’m never aware of any complaints of harassment or bad behavior during the project.”

“There were two days where we shot a Studio 54-style party club scene, where Francis would walk around the set establishing the spirit of the scene by giving nice hugs and kisses on the cheek to the actors and background players,” he told the publication. .

“It was his way of helping to inspire and establish the atmosphere of the club, which was so important to the film. I was never aware of any complaints of harassment or bad behavior during the project.