Babylon: Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie's film gets few Oscar nominations

After its US release in December 2022, Collider named 'Babylon' by director Damien Chazelle "one of 2022's highest-profile bombs." The epic about Hollywood in the 1920s is spectacularly made but not getting the elated responses that film analysts had expected. What is the movie about? And why do people like or dislike it?

After 'Whiplash' (2014) and 'La La Land' (2016), among others, the 28-year-old Franco-American director delivered his fifth feature film with 'Babylon.' After his previous successes, a lot was expected from his latest project.

'Babylon' portrays the Hollywood underworld during the Prohibition era in the United States. In a plot that leaves absolutely no room for respite, the film describes the rise and fall of a constellation of characters as cinema makes its transition from silent to sound films.

Image: 'Babylon'

Quoted by 'Allociné,' the director indicated that he wanted to "examine under the microscope the beginnings of an art form and an industry when both were still finding their marks." Above that, he wanted to "observe an evolving society" beyond the world of cinema. Quite an ambitious plan!

The production spared no expense to give the project as much breadth and ambition as possible. The film is over three hours long and its sets are big and elaborate.

Image: 'Babylon'

The soundtrack, several of whose titles were released before the film, is by Justin Hurwitz. He already received a Golden Globe for the 'Babylon' score and has also been nominated for an Oscar.

But that's about it for 'Babylon.' When the Oscar nominations were announced on January 24, 2023, media remarked that 'Babylon' had been "snubbed." It got nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design, but not for any of its star actors, nor for director Damien Chazelle.

The project by Chazelle about the golden age of Hollywood had been announced as early as 2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the realization.

While Emma Stone had initially been cast for the main role, she was later replaced by Margot Robbie (pictured) due to the incompatibility of Stone's filming schedules.

With Margot Robbie and veteran actor Brad Pitt in its top-notch cast, 'Babylon' is also carried by actors like Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, and Li Jun Li.

The film received several nominations for film awards. Its soundtrack has been awarded several times, including a Golden Globe. The Oscar may still lie ahead - for the score. It's not raining as many awards as film experts had thought, though.

Why is it that 'Babylon' didn't get that many awards? Is it a Hollywood film of the highest level or simply enjoyable entertainment with a famous cast? Let's have a look at the opinions of critics in the US and beyond.

American viewers seem divided. On the popular review site Rotten Tomatoes, 'Babylon' received an average rating of 55% from a total of 271 users. It's not great, but not that bad either. The film gets a similar score on 'Metacritic', with 61 out of 100 points based on 59 submissions.

Image: Li Jun Li at the UK premiere of 'Babylon'

For 'The New Yorker', Chazelle's feature film allows the viewer to revisit the Hollywood of almost a century ago with a more current look: "Artistically, what Babylon adds to the classic Hollywood that it celebrates, is sex and ... drugs and violence, [and] a more diverse cast."

Image: Jovan Adepo in 'Babylon'

The author of the New Yorker review, film critic Richard Brody, does lament the insufficient reflection offered by the film. Its "kitchen-sink chaos... replaces the whys and wherefores of coherent thought with the exhortation to buy a ticket, cast one’s eyes up to the screen, and worship in the dark."

The British daily 'The Guardian' was equally divided, with three out of five stars awarded to the film. Critic Peter Bradshaw applauded the performance of Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, but he regretted the lack of commitment of the film to denounce the cruelty of the Hollywood universe.

'Vanity Fair' was tougher on the film. Reviewer Richard Lawson wrote that while the movie "stretches out across three hours and eight minutes, ... Chazelle [photo] has no clear idea where all of this is going."

While the cast tours the world to celebrate Babylon's premiere, critics on social and showbiz media reflect on Brad Pitt's role in the whole PR circus. On the one hand, he made another great achievement as an actor, but on the other hand, he is getting more and more bad press regarding the domestic abuse allegations from his marriage with Angelina Jolie.

'Allociné' states that Brad Pitt has called the film a "love letter to cinema." According to GoldDerby, he "steals each scene he’s in, propels the story forward, and makes it holistic," just like he did with his award-winning supporting role in 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' (2019). This time, however, there's no Oscar nomination in it for Brad Pitt.