This is the third of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarrito's trilogy of love and loss which began with Amores Perros, and continued with 21 Grams. I have now seen all three and love every one of them. Babel is also the winner of the oscar for best picture in 2007, and similar in many ways and themes to the 2006 winner, Crash.
The name of the film comes from the biblical story of the Tower of Babel - a tower built so that people could get closer to god. Biblical and religious questions are continuously raised throughout the film.
Babel certainly isn't for everybody's taste. There are four stories interweaved between different countries and we constantly jump about between each. Two take place in Morrocco, and we start off by meeting two boys who go out with their father's newly acquired rifle to shoot jackal and protect their herd of goat. There is a couple trying to save their marriage in the Morroccan desert, played by Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt. Meanwhile, their Mexican nanny is taking their two children across the border to her son's wedding party and we join in the celebrations. The last piece takes us to Tokyo, Japan and you get caught up in the life of a young deaf-mute girl. Because of all the different locations, there are subtitled sections, but both the cinematography and scenery are stunning throughout. This is not a film where I can give too much away about the characters involved as you are required to get to know them, and get caught up in their respective situations. If you do, then you should be blown away when you discover the connections that come delivered with some emotional venom.
Blanchett and Pitt are of course the star attractions of this movie, but are used sparingly throughout, even though their characters are central to the piece. If you are fans of either, then this wouldn't be your typical movie that either has made. It is actually the first I've seen where Pitt looks his age for once, as he has grey hair! They don't totally convince as a couple either, and this would be one negative I picked up. Far more impressive, is the acting by the cast of unknowns, especially the deaf-mute Japanese girl as you are taken to what would be normal everyday situations, but when you see them from her point of view it can be deeply unsettling. As with Inarrito's films there is the ritual gratuitous animal death scene, as well as the casting of his favourite muse. Gael Garcia Bernal. After seeing him in this and Amores Perros, I don't think I would ever share a car with him! Babel also put me off ever visiting Morrocco, or if you do you wouldn't want to do anything wrong going by the portrayal of police brutality.
Don't go to see this if you want something to switch off to. There are no big explosions and all the drama comes from real life situations. What I love about Inarrito's films is that he can inadvertently switch from a moment that truly touches your heart, as happens at the first switch between stories. We leave the Moroccan desert, and within seconds I was laughing at a referee being berated by a Japanese volleyball squad! His films are like an emotional rollercoaster, and you never know what's going to happen next. This is why I find his films so exhilarating. At no time, did the structure become contrived, and that is very difficult to achieve with this kind of work.
All in all, I didn't enjoy this as much as his first Amores Perros, and I would need to see 21 Grams again for comparison as it was such a long time ago when I watched that. The stories weren't quite as strong as in Perros, but I did prefer the narrative in Babel as at no time did I feel that it dragged.
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Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Brilliantly conceived, superbly directed, and beautifully acted,Babelis inarguably one of ... more
the best films of 2006. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu and his co-writer, Guillermo Arriaga (the two also collaborated onAmores Perrosand21 Grams) weave tog...
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Brilliantly conceived, superbly directed, and beautifully acted,Babelis inarguably one of ... more
the best films of 2006. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu and his co-writer, Guillermo Arriaga (the two also collaborated onAmores Perrosand21 Grams) weave tog...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: Interesting look at different cultures. Good acting all from all the cast. Disadvantages: un-believable story with loose conections between plot lines. Somewhat drawn out
curious_george 15.03.2007 (15.03.2007)
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Review of Babel (DVD)
![Babel [DVD] [2006]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/127176071.jpg "Babel [DVD] [2006]")
Apr 14th, 2008
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