Last Night's Film

Megalopolis is a beautifully filmed documentary. The strength is not only in the cinematography (blurs of Tokyo trains, octopus-like freeways in L.A., the dessert of Cairo's pyramids), but its concept--a vision of six huge 21st century cities (Cairo, Karachi, Los Angeles, Sao Paolo, Shenzhen, and Tokyo). and their inhabitants set to narratives guided by quotes from 20th century science fiction writers (Gibson, Orwell, Dick). The documentary shows the harsh side of cities, sometimes punctuated by a bit of glamour, clearly highlighting the dichotomies that these urban centers display (the sharp divide between the affluent and the poor). Where the documentary seems to misstep a bit is a lack of a narrative thread. It relies more on an atmospheric impression, which doesn't hold after it keeps making the same point about the allure and harshness that seems to define a megalopolis. Different narratives weave as the documentary moves between countries. Yet, the narratives don't seem to cross enough between the countries, making it difficult to see how the narrative story builds toward a final impact. Instead the film slows to a depressed vision of isolation as the lights of Tokyo flash in the distance.

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