Despite critical and audience reception, many fellow filmmakers have had positive reactions to Francis Ford Coppola’s passion project, Megalopolis. Some of his directing peers have glowed about the film in some recent reactions, including Guillermo Del Toro stating, “Francis is still the same bold, fearless, inventive filmmaker that he was in his 20’s. I was Swept by Megalopolis!” and Steven Soderbergh exclaiming, “WOW! This might be the craziest thing ever shot on American soil. Certainly, one of the most sustained acts of pure imagination I’ve ever seen. I dreamt about it all night—it was inspiring!”
Now, famously political director Oliver Stone has spoken about how extraordinary he’s found the film as he talks about his favorite recent watches on Facebook. Stone starts his list saying, “Francis Coppola’s “Megalopolis” (2024). Scoff if you’re of that nature, but I deeply admire his commitment to his vision. On a visual scale, it’s one stunning scene after another – beyond his Apocalypse, or his exotic One from the Heart, and the main character (Adam Driver) has the heart of ‘Tucker.’ As a narrative, many have knocked the film, and I cannot say I followed it completely, but enough to want to see it again, because I believe Francis was sincere in his exploration of a future, which is beyond what our society still doesn’t understand — that we can have a humanitarian society.”
Another movie that Stone lists is “Trump’s movie, The Apprentice (2024), from Iranian director Ali Abbasi and writer Gabriel Sherman, a journalist, is a great New York movie set in the 1970s in the style of Lumet’s Serpico (1973) with its feel for corruption and stink, and how life corrodes the soul — in a very entertaining way, of course! The audience at Cannes laughed a great deal and appreciated it. It also reminded me of Mackendrick’s Sweet Smell of Success (1957) in its harsh depiction of a character (amazingly recreated by Sebastian Stan, who was brilliant in Pam & Tommy [2022], the saga of Pamela Anderson) who learns at the table of an even harsher man in Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong in a stunning performance). It works incredibly as a tight film, but of course will be judged as politics. It isn’t. Forget the moment. See it as a character study. Go for the ride alone — it’s something to see!”
Do you agree with Stone’s take on either film? Let us know in the comments!