Babylon (2022) review

Shenanigans and chaos in Old Hollywood (pre-Hays Code): Jersey-born actress (and gambling addict) Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie) is trying to make a name for herself, silent star Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) is concerned about the "talkies" becoming popular (and whether his voice is adequate) and Mexican immigrant Manny (Diego Calva) starts his "career" as a gofer and moves up the "proverbial ladder" of showbiz.  Chazelle revels in excess, right from the opening party and all the way through its over three-hour running time: an elephant defecates on the camera, a little person is riding a phallus-shaped pogo stick, a morbidly obese man "accidentally" kills a young woman (a reference to a real-life incident involving "Fatty" Arbuckle and Virginia Rappe), Robbie and her father Robert (Eric Roberts) fight a snake ... and then, as years go by, the public turns against this type of decadence and a new era of "wholesomeness" is ushered in ... perhaps not unlike the "restrained" cinema of today.  Part of me wants to condemn him for making something so indulgent and exhausting ... and yet I can't help but join him in admiring people who live wild lives and use their artistry to keep us entertained, and there's a wonderful scene with gossip columnist Elinor St. John (Jean Smart) where she reminds Conrad that the silver screen, in its own way, renders one "immortal."  There's an attempt to address the "race issue" way back then with musician Sidney Palmer (Jovan Adepo) but it only feels tacked on because Chazelle's far more consumed with the freak show aspect of it ... and of course he can't resist concluding with a massive montage to "celebrate" the history of the medium.  To answer the question of "is it low art?": mostly yes.  And that's just fine.