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In Praise of 'Megalopolis'

The oddity of Megalopolis is that it is neither as far-reaching nor as demented as its reputation suggests.

The film’s poor showing at the box office doesn't bode well for the kind of expansive dreaming and gusto that it celebrates, at least when it comes to Hollywood, but the mad determination of both the director and his protagonist suggests that our cultural future may not be completely listless. He belongs to the elite of New Rome, a barely disguised retro-futuristic New York City, and he is the bane of the existence of Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who possesses a much more banal vision for urban development. Played at a curious register by Shia LeBeouf, Clodio is the Donald Trump stand-in, and he briefly leads a populist revolt against Cesar’s Megalopolis plan, in part by galvanizing residents displaced by the vast construction project.

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