Francis Ford Coppola’s divisive conversation in Cannes in ‘Megalopolis’.

Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” received a 10-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, but the film is dividing critics, many of whom seem downright torn by their opinions.

Coppola spent $120 million on the film, which stars Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman.

“I don’t care, I never cared about money,” the 85-year-old director said at a press conference in Cannes. “At the end of the day, there are so many people who die and say, ‘I wish I had done this, I wish I had done that.'”

He added: “But when I die, I will say, ‘I have to do this.’ I need to see my daughter [Sofia] win an Oscar, I could make wine and make all the movies I wanted. And I’ll be so busy thinking about what to do that when I die, I won’t notice.

New York Timesfilm critic Manohla Dargis called the move “a giant leap,” but added, “I don’t think ‘Megalopolis’ will be for everyone, but art rarely is.” She also wrote, “It’s true that it took me a while to get used to both the dialogue and the performances, which, while not entirely off-putting, did feel destabilizing.”

Deadline he named the movie, “something of a mess – unruly, exaggerated and drawn to grudges like a moth to a flame. But it is also quite a stunning achievement, the work of a master artist who moved to Imax like Caravaggio to canvas.”

The review added: “One wonders what the hell Jason Schwartzman thinks he’s doing in this, or whether Dustin Hoffman called his agent to negotiate a quick exit.”

The – wondered the Hollywood Reporter“Is it a good movie? Not in the long run. But it’s also not something that can be easily dismissed.”

The film’s synopsis reads: “An architect wants to rebuild New York as a utopia after a devastating disaster,” but many critics seem confused. AND New York Magazine an online headline wondered, “What even is Megalopolis?”

Aside from all the confused critics, the hype around the festival is gone report in the Guardian in which Coppola was accused of inappropriate behavior on the set of the film.

Anonymous sources say the director pulled women to sit on his lap and “tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad extras,” claiming he was “trying to get them in the mood.”

Executive producer Darren Demetr denied the reports, telling The Hollywood Reporter: “I have never heard of any complaints of harassment or misconduct during the course of the project.”

“There were two days when we were shooting a celebratory Studio 54-style club scene where Francis walked around the set to establish the spirit of the scene by hugging and kissing the cast and supporting players on the cheek,” he said. publication.

“It was his way of inspiring and establishing the club atmosphere that was so important to the film. I have never heard of any complaints of harassment or bad behavior during the project.”