Babylon

my middle name is Manuel and it is the name that i go by to my entire family so Manny being the lead character in this film made me feel a connection like i’ve ever felt before. seeing everything Manny put in to make it to where he wanted to be: moving a whole fucking elephant, having to dispose of a body, driving and waiting hours for a camera under the pressure of an entire crew, and ACTUALLY reaching the role of producer was so inspiring and beautiful to me.  i appreciate the fact that this film also shows that the industry can bring out a side of people that isn’t necessarily really THEM. the scene where Manny is asking Sydney to put on blackface for the film stayed with me for a bit because by no means did Manny mean it with any bad intention, he isn’t trying to dehumanize Sydney and even tells him that the salary of everyone in the film depends on him having issues with some makeup which is why he is asking him. Manny knew it was very distasteful and disrespectful to ask Sydney to do such a thing but it meant that it would move them forward. another scene that really stuck with me was the conversation between Jack and Elinor. it’s really crazy to think about it when watching older films that a majority of the cast and crew have past away, yet the magic of the film is still there and they still make us feel without even knowing. literal chills. this film is pretty long and there is so much to talk about but overall i love the appreciation for cinema, Tobey Maguire caught me completely off guard and creeped me out, Margot Robbie killed it, Brad Pitt killed* himself, *and in typical Damien Chazelle fashion: there was A LOT OF JAZZ.