Movie Review – Babel

Babel is a wonder, a simply staggering film achievement, made all the more so amazing by the behind the scenes problems and issues at hand. These can be seen on the bonus features of the 2 disc DVD available now. If you only see one film this year, make sure you see Babel. It’s a testament to the power of cinema, the creativity of the human spirit, and the power of a simple story well told that moves you, shakes you, and never lets you go. Staggering in it’s achievement and power, I simply have to give Babel a perfect score. It’s stunning.

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– Summary –

Director : Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Cast :
Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett
Length : 143 Minutes
Synopsis:
Four disparate groups of people have their lives irrevocably changed when a young boy shoots at a tourist bus in Morocco. When  his wife is shot, a man has to make some hard decisions in a country with no medical system, barely anybody speaking English, and a partner who doesn’t have long to live. The shooter, a young Moroccan boy, begins a life-changing escape through the mountains of his homeland. Back in the US, the children of the man on the bus are taken to a wedding in Mexico by his housekeeper, with dire consequences. And in Japan, a young girl on the edge of suicide after the death of her mother is also brought into the drama in the most unlikely way.

Review : Stunning, almost documentary styled drama with riveting performance from every single member of the cast, professional actor or not. Four story-lines are brought together in a modern fable by a director at the height of his power. Brilliant cinema, and a must-see.

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I want to state right from the outset that I think Babel is one of the finest films I think I’ve ever been privileged to witness. Staggering in scope and achievement, this film should be mandatory viewing to anybody who thinks the art of cinema is dead. Far from “entertaining” in the truest sense of the word, Babel will rock you with is pull-no-punches approach to film-making. Brad Pitt “stars” in this film, although he’s merely one of four short stories that are interwoven within the fabric of the narrative, each one linked to the other by fate, circumstance or just simple bad luck.

I can see Osama from here man!

Also “starring” Cate Blanchett as Pitts wife, Babel is a reasonably simple premise that kicks you in the emotional guts and doesn’t let go until the very end. The film starts fairly innocently: a farmer in a distant, unnamed, middle east province purchases a rifle illegally to protect his flock of goats from prowling jackals. His two sons take the rifle out to the hills, to watch over their flock, and eventually decide to test the capabilities of the weapon. They start shooting at distant vehicles, including a bus filled with tourists.

Er, have I been shot or is it just me?

One of the tourists on the bus is sitting calmly in her seat, when she is struck by a high velocity bullet through the window. Her husband, desperate to save her life, resorts to allowing the local people to care for her, as there are no doctors or hospitals for miles and miles, and she is fading fast. Contacting the embassy only creates more tension as the act of violence is seen as a terrorist act (the perpetrators have not yet been captured) and the country refuses entry of help from outside.

Man, keep those kids away from me okay?

Meanwhile, the tourists children are back in the US, where their Mexican housekeeper has had to take them with her to her son’s wedding, across the border. And in Japan, a young deaf-mute girl who seeks emotional comfort following the tragic death of her mother goes on a journey of desperation to get what she wants.

Selma didn’t like it. She didn’t like it at ALL.

How all these people link together is perhaps the films greatest asset (although, it must be said, the Japanese link to the four stories is the most tenuous, and perhaps slightly shoehorned into the plot to add some length) and it’s a credit to the director for bringing them together in a way that makes sense, provokes interest, and keeps you guessing.

Things go wrong, story-wise, as events precipitate desperation within each of our main characters, although oftentimes we are not too sure exactly who is the main focus of each story for a large percentage of the time. As events unfold, we are led on a highly charged, emotional roller-coaster of tension, emotion and ultimately hope, as our characters attempt to overcome the obstacles that stand in their way. Babel is a sad film, and certainly not one to watch with a large group of friends and some pizza. It’s a film that you need to watch, rather than simply watch, as to miss any part will lessen the overall impact. There’s not a spare moment of extraneous cinema in the whole film, something not a lot of films would dare to try.

Ling Gi didn’t have much fun at the amusement park. But later, she’d be smiling. Later.

Pitt and Blanchett are the only cast Australian audiences will identify, and their performances are excellent. This is not a film where there are any truly “starring” roles, hence my use of inverted commas throughout. This is a true ensemble piece, even though the cast in each storyline never meet the others, except through voice or perhaps on TV. The Japanese girl, Cheiko, is played with an amazing grace by Rinko Kikuchi, and is a stand out, even if her plot doesn’t intersect with the others that much, and her bravura performance will stand the test of time as one of the most dazzling screen portrayals in recent memory, and was deservedly nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

But I thought this was the sequel to War of The Worlds!

The young boys responsible for the chain reaction of events with the rifle, are first time actors, but it doesn’t show. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu produces the performances of their lives as they deliver naturalistic screen characters who are simply wonderful to watch. The use of local talent brings a heightened sense of realism to the film, as most of those people in the middle east country have never even seen a film camera before.

Saw 6 hits a flat spot.

The cinematography is simply stunning, with a deeply rich colour palette drawing us further into each storyline through the textures and layers, and this is complemented by the Oscar winning score from Gustavo Santaolalla, which heightens the emotional content of the imagery perfectly.

I know your ear is in here somewhere….

Babel is a wonder, a simply staggering film achievement, made all the more so amazing by the behind the scenes problems and issues at hand. These can be seen on the bonus features of the 2 disc DVD available now. If you only see one film this year, make sure you see Babel. It’s a testament to the power of cinema, the creativity of the human spirit, and the power of a simple story well told that moves you, shakes you, and never lets you go. Staggering in it’s achievement and power, I simply have to give Babel a perfect score. It’s stunning.

Full-Marks

 

 

 

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9 thoughts on “Movie Review – Babel

  1. Of the two films by Garcia, Things You Can Tell is the superior. It took Garcia six years to make the follow-up, Nine Lives and while it too contains strong, realistic performances from very notable actors it feels more like a theater production than a film. Nine Lives is burdened by lengthy, drawn out scenes where two characters are often locked in conversation and stagy scenarios – contrived might best describe these moments though it is difficult to paint any film with such a broad brush given that everything about cinema is deliberate, though obviously we would all agree that the emotions and interplay should be spontaneous and natural. The most problematic element of films of this nature is finding a way to overcome the structure and allow the characters and the interwoven stories to operate singularly and collectively without feeling hindered or overly compartmentalized. While I the films contain engaging moments one can't help the feeling that comes from wanting less characters, more focus on individuals and the opportunity to connect with them instead of themes, ideas and communal worldly issues.

    You can read more about Nine Lives here -> http://rorydean.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/nine-liv

    I have yet to write a review of Things You Can Tell but I'll get to that soon and we can discuss further.

    cheers->

    1. Hey Rory. I've seen neither of the two films you mention, but after a little Wiki work on them, I'm dead keen to see them. I'll try and get hold of them over the next few weeks and give them a go. Thanks again for your thoughts, as insightful as always!

  2. Well Rodney, it would be fool hearty of me to attempt to change your opinion about a film that you describe as one of the finest films you’ve ever had the privilege of watching – not to mention a perfect 10. I can't agree more that Inarritu is a masterful filmmaker – his film 21 Grams remains on the tip top most of my favorite films list. Yet Babel takes me off course, yearning for the man in his former glory, for the power with which he wields a cinematic language that knows no borders. Here plot supplants character and the story feels more like he's trying to tell us something, teach us something, prove something. I don't mind be told something as long as I feel that I don't have to rely on it to fully appreciate the film.

    I wanted to like this film, more for Blanchett and Pitt together, more for the fragmented – at times jumbled narrative threads – but like a lot of films of this style I felt a disconnect that prevented me from sitting through scenes that were either too long or just not that interesting. Rodrigo Garcia has tried it with Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her (1999) and again with Nine Lives (2005) and while the first film is vastly superior, the ‘trick’ if you will wanes by the second film and I suspect his third installment in the semi-series will suffer similarly. Maybe it would be easier to compare the ‘trick’ to M. Night’s films, that while superb from the gate began to quickly tire, predictable even, and ultimately his stories feel heavy handed.

    A thorough review of a film I'm just not that into but then again, that's what I enjoy about reading and reviewing and sharing what moves us, what settles like so much dust, and what ultimately returns us time and time again to the theater.

    So I've got Babel on my write soon list. I need to get through Skyline, All Good Things and Kings Speech first.

    cheers->

    1. I wouldn't bother with Skyline, but the others you mention I'd be keen to read your thoughts on.

      Thanks for the kind words, Rory. As always, much appreciated.

  3. I have to agree with Kiah there, whilst I though that BABEL was a fantastically compiled set of stories which were as you mentioned "tenuously" linked, I think that it should lose some points for re-watchability. I did enjoy it but I wouldn't watch it again.

  4. We watched Babel in China last year- with no pre-requisites- picked up the dvd to watch having never heard of it before. (It was good quality copy tho rodney!)

    I can see what you enjoyed about the film but i can't say that from an average viewer's perspective they could appreciate as much as you do.

    I nearly fell asleep a couple of times. The storyline was interesting enough but it was slow moving and fairly depressing. Also, the soundtrack is strikingly similar to another movie which for the life of me i can't think of now… i'll get back to you on that one.

    Glad you enjoyed it tho.

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