Movies That I Just Saw. “Babylon.” “The Old Way.”

<>"Babylon” (2022, Amazon Prime.) Epic period black comedy-drama, directed by Damien Chazelle. Chronicles the rise and fall of multiple characters during Hollywood's transition from silent to sound films in the late 1920s. All that I can say is this movie is weird and I didn’t really see the “transition” here from there to wherever. Yet this mishmash of grandiose sequences, outlandish production, and slapstick level romance schtick was nominated for multiple awards at the Oscars, Golden Globes, and Critics' Choice. I don’t really get awards giving ersatz these days. 

       Nellie LaRoy is supposedly based on Clara Bow, who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" in 1929. I read up a bit on Ms Bow yet I didn't see her in Ms LaRoy, regardless of Margot Robbie's inspired performance. Brat Pitt, newcomer lead Diego Calva, not so impressive. The ensemble cast didn't click in me although Tobey Maguire's bit spot as a sinister James McKay is interesting. 

       But as I said, this eerie circus of macabre visuals won or was nominated for major awards. Yet, for me, this is more of otherwise talented Mr Chazelle's ultra-long (3 hrs, 9 mins) inebriated dance of the confused. 🎭👎🎬

<>“The Old Way” (2023, Hulu). Western, starring my idol Nicolas Cage as a retired gunman on a mission to find the outlaws who killed his wife. Haven't you got enough of Nic Cage? Me, nope. I am always ready for another Cage shenanigan on the small screen. 

       In "The Old Way," Mr Cage talks less and broods more as gunfighter Colton Briggs, a member of an extrajudicial posse, in 1878 Montana Territory. Colton rode at dawn to track down the killers of his wife, who are led by a dude who is also avenging his dad's death in the hands of Mr Briggs. 

       The usual, obligatory Western drill. As I said, true to macho Western dudes a-la Clint Eastwood of yore, Nic talks less. It was the moralizing marshall Nick Searcy who talks a whole lot, he may have been a preacher or salesman before he took the lawman job.

       The real attraction in this of-course predictable movie is child actress Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Brooke, Colton's witty daughter. If they included a dog in the cast, it could have been more cool as long as the pet didn't die.

       But hey this is a Nic Cage movie! Everything's forgiven. And I can't wait to watch his next shenanigan. 🎥💻📽