Babel | REVIEW

Before I go on with this review, I want to make it clear that Babel will not appeal to every movie fan, instead it is meant for a selective group of people with a specific taste in film. I'm not discriminating or saying some people are better than others, I'm only saying that movies like Babel are made with a selective group of moviegoers in mind. It's how horror movies are made for horror-fans, and do not appeal for those who dislike the genre. Babel works the same way. It's a very flat, very slow, very artsy film that delivers a powerful yet subtle message. And it's heavy, meaning it isn't a casual watch.

Babel is a story that intersects a number of incidents involving different groups of people all around the world, that somehow interconnect to one another. In a way, Babel draws inspiration from the 'six degrees of separation', a phenomenon that deems the world as a 'small place' in which everyone knows everyone else in one way or the other via their own personal networks. It simply says that everyone's action will cause a reaction, and even though you may not realize it, your actions are being felt by someone, somewhere. Pretty deep, huh? I know, that's why I like Babel a lot. I've heard a lot of people call it 'boring' and 'slow' but I guess not all movies can be fast and furious now, can they?

Babel stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett (they will star together again in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, which looks totally wicked, people. Watch the trailer, the music alone makes it epic!). Don't expect the Oceans trilogy 'Rusty' side of Brad Pitt, don't expect the warrior-style Brad from Troy, don't expect Brad to flirt around ala Mr & Mrs Smith...instead expect Brad to be a very concerned father who's wife (Cate Blanchett) has had a shooting accident in southern Morocco. Needless to say, the duo pull it off really well. Babel has an ensemble cast, meaning Brad and Cate are not center of attraction. Every angle has its own story and every story has its pivotal characters. Every character is important enough to drive the story forward.

The music invented for Babel is breathtaking. It isn't fast-paced or loud, instead it's a perfect fit for the mood of the movie. It managed to bag an Accademy Award for Best Original Score in 2007. In fact, the movie was so well received by critics and guilds alike, that it had been nominated for 7 Accademy Awards. It also won a Golden Globe for Best Film - Drama.

Is Babel a family-flick? Nope. You can pass on the swearing, but you can't pass on the sexual content. And I mean full-frontal Japanese nudity is what's in this flick. Is it fun? Maybe, depends on your taste and what you'd expect from a movie. Is it something you can watch at any given time? Nope. Babel works well when you have time on your hands, your mind isn't pre-occupied, and there's some peace and quiet around. Is it worth that amount of time? Sure as heck, yeah. As I said, Babel caters to a certain group of moviegoers. If you're at home with your girlfriend and what you need is that casual movie for you and her to sip Coke and eat popcorn to, Babel's not the movie to slip into the player. And girls, if you're home alone with that guy of your dreams and you need a movie to play, Babel's not the right one. In fact, no movie is the right one for that situation. He's too busy fantasizing about the possibilities of the 'home alone' advantage to focus on anything else.

All in all, Babel is a movie that's worth a watch. If you favor good storylines, Babel will deliver well to your expectations. It takes a lot of effort to pen a story that diverts into so many different sub-stories. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu really did a good job on this one. The multi-narrative drama completes González Iñárritu's "death trilogy," which also consists of Amores Perros and 21 Grams. Allocate some time to give this piece a peek and you'll see that good storytelling always shows.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wrap : Babel gets 4.6 out of 5.0 for being a really interesting tale. It has a dedicated cast, a fantastic score, and is a wonderful thought-provoking movie on a whole.