Babel
2006. Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Written by Guillermo Arriaga. Starring Adriana Barraza, Rinko Kikuchi, Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Toji Yakusho
Babel is a brilliant film that switches between four storylines which are separate but interrelated, though the revelation of that connection isn't what drives the film. There is an American couple in Morocco (played by Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett), vacating in an attempt to rebuild their marriage from the strain of their youngest child's death. There is a goatherder and his two sons who live in the hills of Morocco and come into possession of a new gun to scare the jackals away from their herds. There is a Mexican nanny looking after two children whose parents are away at the same time she needs to travel to Mexico for her son's wedding. There is a Japanese girl, who feels disconnected from society because she is deaf, and her father who struggle to reconnect after the mother's suicide. These stories are all fascinating and all offer insights into how humans react in drastic circumstances. The characters are terrific, the dialogue is superb, and the pacing is very effective. It is a gut-wrenching and emotionally devastating film that keeps you at the edge of your seat as you worry about the choices you think these people are about to make. I was so involved in this movie that it was an exhausting and yet extremely rewarding experience. Inarritu has made two previous films. 21 Grams was very good and featured stunning acting. Amorres Perros was the kind of film you don't want to miss and offers much of what Babel does. Babel is certainly equal, perhaps better, than Amorres Perros. It may be the best film of the year.
My grade: A
Babel is a brilliant film that switches between four storylines which are separate but interrelated, though the revelation of that connection isn't what drives the film. There is an American couple in Morocco (played by Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett), vacating in an attempt to rebuild their marriage from the strain of their youngest child's death. There is a goatherder and his two sons who live in the hills of Morocco and come into possession of a new gun to scare the jackals away from their herds. There is a Mexican nanny looking after two children whose parents are away at the same time she needs to travel to Mexico for her son's wedding. There is a Japanese girl, who feels disconnected from society because she is deaf, and her father who struggle to reconnect after the mother's suicide. These stories are all fascinating and all offer insights into how humans react in drastic circumstances. The characters are terrific, the dialogue is superb, and the pacing is very effective. It is a gut-wrenching and emotionally devastating film that keeps you at the edge of your seat as you worry about the choices you think these people are about to make. I was so involved in this movie that it was an exhausting and yet extremely rewarding experience. Inarritu has made two previous films. 21 Grams was very good and featured stunning acting. Amorres Perros was the kind of film you don't want to miss and offers much of what Babel does. Babel is certainly equal, perhaps better, than Amorres Perros. It may be the best film of the year.
My grade: A
posted by Keith Allison at 3:22 PM
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