Babel

Babel: Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett headline this latest effort from acclaimed director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Like the last 2 films Alejandro directed, Babel tells multiple stories that are somehow all intertwined. Babel is by far his most ambitious movie –as the storylines are taking place all around the world – from Tokyo, to Morocco, to San Diego. There are 4 storylines that the movie jumps between and like his past movies, it takes time to see how everything is linked together – in the beginning it is hard to believe they even could be. We start out with a married couple (Pitt, Blanchett) facing a most tragic event while on vacation in Morocco. Secondly, we have a deaf-mute teenage Japanese girl struggling with her sexual feelings. Also in the mix is a nanny who brings 2 kids over to Mexico from the U.S. so she can attend her son’s wedding. And finally we have two brothers in Morocco who are told to look over their cattle while their father is gone. Seeing them all come together is the beauty of the film. Still on their own each storyline tells the same message but in a different way. Unfortunately Babel failed to draw this viewer in emotionally. I think a lot of this has to do with not feeling that sorry for the parties involved – because in a strange way they were all to fault for what happens to them. I give credit to Alejandro for the idea of the film. Also for trying to bring it all together to show us that we, as people from around the world, are really not that different.
* * * or a Grade: B
Want to see a Alejandro masterpiece, rent Amores Perros

If this movie had parents they would be – Traffic & 21 Grams

With a running time of 142 minutes
This film is rated R