Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Tim Blake Nelson's debut novel is an epic group portrait of four men grappling for control of a script in a radically changing Hollywood, or Urbs Plagarum (The City of Blows).
It's early 2019 and the legendary (and legendarily difficult) producer Jacob Rosenthal is hellbent on producing his next film, Coal, adapted from the bestselling novel by celebrated (but long deceased) writer Rex Patterson. For reasons profoundly personal, the project--which takes on the controversial topic of race in America--is Jacob's envisioned magnum opus, and likely his swan song. For equally personal reasons, Jacob selects Jim Levit to direct; a major opportunity for the classically trained actor/director whose own films, while garnering some critical acclaim, have not yet resulted in box office success.
The announcement of Jim's hiring for Coal does not sit well with another producer who has worked with Jim, Aaron Gilman. With a career spiraling out of control, Aaron increasingly needs someone to blame, and Jim is the softest target he can think of. As he channels the last remaining vestiges of his creativity into a revenge plot that will ruin Jim's big break (and Jacob's crowning achievement), Aaron's tragicomic origin story is revealed. But it is his agent and boyhood friend, the handsome and successful David McCann, who triggers a greater unraveling--and a long over-due reckoning for abuse and coercion masquerading as traditional Hollywood masculinity.
A sharply crafted satire, Urbs Plagarum is both love letter and indictment of the film industry from an insider. You will find yourself laughing in spite of the ruthlessness and despair, the hubris and the sheer evil, as Urbs Plagarum accelerates to its crescendo.
Synopsis
"A travelogue of purgatory. Brutal, but minutely rendered--a chronicle of small betrayals and vicissitudes in a ruthless world. Losers, hustlers and delusional artists, all trapped in their pretense and hollow lives; making deals with the devil at the crossroads of Tinseltown." --Guillermo del Toro
Tim Blake Nelson's debut novel is an epic group portrait of four men grappling for control of a script in a radically changing Hollywood, or the City of Blows.
It's early 2020, and legendary producer Jacob Rosenthal is eager to make his next film, Coal, adapted from the bestselling novel by the celebrated writer Rex Patterson. The project--which takes on the controversial topic of race in America--is Jacob's envisioned magnum opus, and likely his swan song. He selects David Levit to direct, a major opportunity for the classically trained actor/director whose own films, while garnering critical acclaim, have not resulted in box office success.
But the announcement of David's hiring doesn't sit well with a producer from David's past, Brad Shlansky, who channels the last remaining vestiges of his creativity into a revenge plot that could very well scupper the making of Coal, and ruin the lives of its producer and director in the process.
A sprawling, character-driven depiction of the modern film industry, City of Blows reaches back decades to the formative experiences of each of the novel's central figures to explore what first motivated them to become involved in the quixotic and often venal world of movie-making. Driven by their diverse backgrounds, each must navigate the same huckstering circus that puts films on screen.
From the start, Tim Blake Nelson's sharp and unsparing voice holds a mirror up to America itself, using Hollywood to investigate the cultural and economic fault lines that have come to dominate and confound us all. You will find yourself unable to turn away from the ruthlessness and despair, the hubris and sheer evil, as City of Blows accelerates to its unimaginable yet inevitable crescendo.
Synopsis
"A travelogue of purgatory. Brutal, but minutely rendered..." --Guillermo del Toro
It's early 2020, and legendary producer Jacob Rosenthal is eager to make his next film,
Coal, adapted from the bestselling novel by the celebrated writer Rex Patterson. The project--which takes on the controversial topic of race in America--is Jacob's envisioned magnum opus, and likely his swan song. He selects David Levit to direct, a major opportunity for the classically trained actor/director whose own films, while garnering critical acclaim, have not resulted in box office success. But the announcement of David's hiring doesn't sit well with a producer from David's past, Brad Shlansky, who channels the last remaining vestiges of his creativity into a revenge plot that could very well scupper the making of
Coal, and ruin the lives of its producer and director in the process.
A sprawling, character-driven depiction of the modern film industry, City of Blows reaches back decades to the formative experiences of each of the novel's central figures to explore what first motivated them to become involved in the quixotic and often venal world of movie-making. Driven by their diverse backgrounds, each must navigate the same huckstering circus that puts films on screen.