2 Best Movies to Watch by Samara Weaving

Between its maximalist production design and increasingly dark comedic set pieces, the most striking thing about Damien Chazelle's critically misunderstood industry satire is how it strikes a tone closer to tabloid gossip than anything else. As opposed to the clockwork precision of Chazelle's Whiplash, or the dreaminess of La La Land, Babylon's restlessness doesn't resemble Hollywood spectacle so much as it begins to feel like an unscratchable itch, desperate to feel anything. The film ends up trying to say so much that it threatens to say nothing at all, but its vision of cinema becoming reality is so potent that just the experience is more than worth getting lost in.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Aaron Oltman, Albert Hammond Jr., Alex Mansour, Alex Reznik, Alexandre Chen, Andrew Hawtrey, Anna Chazelle, Anna Dahl, Anthony Burkhalter, Ariel Flores, Armando Cosio, Avery Baylin, Azizi Donnelly, Benjamin Jacobson, Bob Clendenin, Brad Pitt, Bregje Heinen, Bryan Scott Johnson, Carson Higgins, Chloe Fineman, Chris Doubek, Christopher Allen, Cici Lau, Circus-Szalewski, Cyrus Hobbi, Dana Marcolina, Danny Jolles, David Abed, David Ury, Dean Anderson, Del Atkins, Diego Calva, Dorian Martin, E.E. Bell, Eamon Hunt, Eric Roberts, Ethan Suplee, Evan Greer, Evgeny Tonkha, Flea, Frederick Koehler, Freya Parker, Hansford Prince, Hayley Huntley, J.C. Currais, Jacob Scesney, James Crittenden, James Vincent, James Wellington, Jean Smart, Jeff Garlin, Jennifer Grant, Jeremy Roberts, Jim O'Brien, Jimmy Ortega, Joe Dallesandro, Joey de Leon, John Kerry, John Macey, John Mariano, John Polite, Johnny Britt, Johnny Hoops, Jonathan Ohye, Jonathan Thomson, Jordan Seigel, Jovan Adepo, Kaia Gerber, Karen Bethzabe, Karina Fontes, Karolina Szymczak, Katherine Waterston, Katia Gomez, Kelly Meyer, Kenajuan Bentley, Kevin Symons, Kevin Toney, Kyle Richter, Laura Steinel, Lewis Tan, Li Jun Li, Lukas Haas, Manny Liotta, Marc Platt, Marcos A. Ferraez, Margot Robbie, Mateo Pollock, Mather Zickel, Max Minghella, Michael Naishtut, Mike C. Manning, Miraj Grbić, Mykail McDade, Nana Ghana, Olivia Hamilton, Olivia Wilde, Oscar Balderrama, P. J. Byrne, Pat Skipper, Patrick Fugit, Pete Ploszek, Phoebe Tonkin, Ric Sarabia, Richard Clarke Larsen, Rickey D. Woodard, Robert Beitzel, Robert Morgan, Rory Scovel, Ryan Porter, Samara Weaving, Sarah Ramos, Sean Billings, Sean O'Bryan, Shane Powers, Sidney Hopson, Sol Landerman, Spike Jonze, Taylor Hill, Taylor Nichols, Telvin Griffin, Terry Walters, Tobey Maguire, Todd Giebenhain, Trisha Simmons, Troy Metcalf, Tyler Seiple, Vanessa Bednar, Walker Hare, William Roper

Director: Damien Chazelle

Rating: R

This biopic of the little-known Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the world’s first prominent Black classical composer, opens with a fierce indictment of history’s ignorance of its subject. Even if it’s one example of the movie’s dramatic license-taking, the scene — in which the Chevalier (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) challenges his eminent contemporary Mozart to an onstage musical “duel” and easily bests him — is a dramatically thrilling statement of intent for the movie.

Unfortunately, the rest of its overlong runtime doesn’t quite fulfill the promise of that opener. That’s largely because of the writing, which leaves uber-talented performers like Harrison Jr. with only a limited range of notes to play. What’s more, Chevalier stops short of exploring some of the most fascinating facts of its multihyphenate subject’s life — like the role he played in the French Revolution, commanding the first all-Black regiment in Europe — in favor of hewing to a predictable screenwriting formula that demands a romantic element to the plot, even if the one in question is only thinly backed by actual evidence. Still, while some of Chevalier’s filmmaking choices seem to misjudge what makes its subject so interesting, the key facts of his life — his extraordinary skill at music and fencing, the role racism played in blocking his greatest ambitions — still get enough exposure here to make it an enlightening watch.

Genre: Drama, History, Music

Actor: Alec Newman, Alex Fitzalan, Ben Bradshaw, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Jessica Boone, Jim High, Joseph Prowen, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lucy Boynton, Marton Csokas, Minnie Driver, Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo, Sam Barlien, Samara Weaving, Sian Clifford

Director: Stephen Williams