With “Megalopolis,” Francis Ford Coppola was finally able to bring his passion project to the screen this year. The 85-year-old says he has invested a large part of his fortune in the story about a (New York) city planner who seems to hold the fate of the world in his creative hands.
Most of the media to whom the “Godfather” director granted an interview audience in advance chose friendly wording in their attempt to interpret the film. The master simply “subverted expectations”. A common choice of words that can often be used for special cases. Not just in the film. In sport, for example, BVB is currently undermining all expectations.
Review: “Megalopolis”
Everyone else called “Megalopolis” what it is. Stuss. “Francis Ford Coppola had a dream,” writes ROLLING STONE editor Arne Willander. “He wanted to make a film that would show New York City as a replica of ancient Rome, but apparently the director of the Godfather films couldn’t find a financier for 50 years.
Botch that is supposed to be a grand metaphor
And further: “When you see “Megalopolis,” you understand why no one wanted to make this film. An unctuous narrator talks about the New Rome off camera. Adam Driver as Cesar Catiline, Nathalie Emmanuel as Julia Cicero and Jon Voight as Hamilton Crassus III spout off-color dialogue that you can’t believe the Patton screenwriter wrote. “Megalopolis” is also about a, well, ethereal material that wraps itself around people like clothing. I can’t put it any better. Adam Driver invented it. Coppola tortures us for 138 minutes with this made-up nonsense, which is supposed to be a grand metaphor. I suspect: for megalomania.”
Six nominations for the “Golden Raspberry”
Now “Megalopolis” has the well-deserved nominations at the “Razzies” (“Golden Raspberry”) won in 2025. In a few categories. “Worst film”, “Worst director”, two supporting actors (Shia LeBeouf and Jon Voight), script, and, quite rightly: “Worst screen combo”, i.e. ensemble of actors. Because it’s true: none of the actors understand their role, no one knows what they’re playing.
Francis Ford Coppola’s epic has a total of six nominations, meaning he leads the field together with “Madame Web”, “Borderlands”, the new “Joker” and “Reagan”. If Coppola is lucky, he can personally collect three “raspberries”. For the film, the direction and the written film process, which he would like to call the script.
By the way, Joaquin Phoenix’s nomination for “Joker: Folie a Deux” as “Worst Actor” is remarkable. This is the first time an actor has received a Razzie nomination for a role for which he has already received an Oscar.