Hardly any other movie of the past decade is as big, bawdy, and debaucherous as Martin Scorsese‘s “The Wolf Of Wall Street.” And Margot Robbie would know. Scorsese’s bananas banking biopic was the Australian actress’ stateside breakout. But Robbie thinks her latest movie, Damien Chazelle‘s “Babylon,” in theaters this December, may give Scorsese’s film a run for its money.
Too hard to believe? Hear Ms. Robbie out. “I remember being on set for [“The Wolf Of Wall Street”] and thinking, ‘I’ll never be in a film as crazy as this ever again,’” Robbie told Empire in a new interview. “And then I made “Babylon.” There’s a dizzying amount of debauchery. One of the most disturbing, chaotic scenes I’ve ever witnessed is in this film, and it involves a fight with a snake. I won’t tell you who wins or loses that fight, but trust me, it’s insane.” Forget midget fights at the Stratton Oakmont office, Robbie’s Nellie LaRoy facing off against a serpent sounds like real maximalist filmmaking. Or at least an equivalent to the sex, drugs, and quaaludes highs of Scorsese’s 2013 film.
But that’s the vibe Chazell is going for in “Babylon,” a departure from his last look at Hollywood in 2016’s “La La Land.” Where that movie has romance and dance sequences to spare, Chazell’s latest shows off the seedier, decadent squalor of 1920s Los Angeles. “Hollywood back then was a place where, from the most depraved animalistic behavior, emerged these works of art that were so beautiful and alluring,” Chazelle told Empire. “1920s Hollywood really was a cesspool of vice, hubris, and excess. We tried to put that on screen. All of it.”
The result? A movie that takes it to the max, on every level: a 3-hour plus runtime, unending party sequences, drug use galore, and general delirium from start to finish. The film also boasts an insanely large ensemble cast, including Brad Pitt, Diego Calva, Jovan Adepo, Jean Smart, Samara Weaving, Toby Maquire, Olivia Wilde, and more. In other words, “Babylon” is one excessive feature film. And if Margot Robbie’s diagnosis is correct, expect Chazell’s new film to be even more outrageous than Jordan Belfort’s exploits in “The Wolf Of Wall Street.” But will that equate to a better film? Advance critical notice on “Babylon” is all over the place, but that means the film is worth seeking out once it hits theaters.
“Babylon” hits theaters everywhere on December 23, courtesy of Paramount Pictures. Check out a new pic from the movie below.
