150 Word Review: 'Megadoc' (2025)
Big daddy
Oscar-nominated director Mike Figgis isn’t always sure why he’s making a documentary about 80-something Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed epic Megalopolis, except that Coppola invited him to make a movie about the making of a star-studded $120 million experimental sci-fi melodrama that crams together Roman history, Ayn Rand, and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. Megalopolis came out in 2024 to very mixed reviews; the movie is an ambitious, admirable mess featuring actors who don’t understand Coppola’s vision, except for the lead, Adam Driver, who almost rescues the whole affair with a committed, gonzo performance.
Figgis’ doc struggles to find drama, and there are moments of friction, especially between Coppola and fallen star Shia LaBeouf. For fans of the craft of filmmaking, it offers a behind-the-scenes look at a lavishly budgeted production, but ultimately this is a love letter. Figgis cannot fault the old man and his madness. Watching Megadoc improves Megalopolis.
Throwback 150 Word Review: ‘Megalopolis’ (2024)
Now THERE'S a double feature I can get behind: MEGA-DOUBLE!