Unfortunately I was reaching for the brain-bleach after sitting through this, and it was curiosity and intrigue that led me to go pay to see it.<p>Perhaps it was too grand and allegorical for me to follow; perhaps I don't share these points of view; but primarily it seemed purposely off-putting: were there any sympathetic protagonists? They all seemed corrupt and evil in their own particular ways, except for the mayor's daughter, Julia, who possessed innocence, trust, and devotion.<p>Aubrey Plaza's characters, always subversive and antisocial, reached a new climax with this one, so to speak. Is she an actor, or does she only portray herself?<p>> Coppola described LaBeouf as an actor who "deliberately sets up a tension between himself and the director to an extreme degree" and whose "method was so infuriating and illogical, it had me pulling my hair out", which he compared to the preparations of actor Dennis Hopper for Apocalypse Now.<p>Shia was cool in <i>Indiana Jones</i> but I saw him portray Padre Pio, and I've never met a more hateful, unlikeable priest. Ditto in this one--just a crazy opportunist with too much clout.<p>From a standpoint of technology, I noted the conspicuous absence of computers anywhere, no smartphones in pockets; even the vehicles were old-fashioned, despite a distinctly present-day type scenario, so that kept me in the alternate universe mode. The focus on technology mostly concerned the magic of stopping time and the Megalo substance/Macguffin.<p>Cicero was so troubled and conflicted, it's difficult to accept that his new Utopia would live up to any promises, and I think that's intentional; the final 60 seconds were quite telling. This is as much a tale of humanity and relationships as it is about technology, politics, or empires. (See the Latin motto over the dais at the wedding.)<p>I think anyone without extensive liberal-arts background will be at a loss to catch the references and allusions throughout. The Greco-Roman, Shakespearean and Enlightenment aspects were tremendously evocative, even with my lack of understanding.<p>Other than Julia, I also found Fundi Romaine (Laurence Fishburne) to be compelling, and an element of possible sanity, in a world that's undeniably gone stark raving mad.