There are only a few moments in this film where I felt true emotion and true compassion in the cinematography-laden Babel. There's no doubt in my mind that the filmmakers meant for there to be more, and because of that it failed to inspire me as much as, say, Crash did. I cannot deny the power of this movie, but it is not grounded or powerful enough to resonate in the mind like Crash does.
This is not to say that Babel is a bad movie. It is quite a good movie with very good performances. Brad Pitt is barely recognizable with a beard and several wrinkles. But the imperfection of his features doesn't matter when compared with the realistic passion behind his performance as the husband to a wife (Cate Blanchett) that mistrusts him. When his wife suffers from a bullet wound, you forget all about his stardom and focus on his love. Blanchett has less of a role to play as the wounded wife, but she effortlessly conveys the layers of her relationship with her husband behind the pain and anguish of her suffering.
The two Moroccan boys who shot her are part of a separate but interlocking story about a rural family in Morocco that just purchased its first rifle. When one of the boys shoots at the bus Blancett is on, it sets off a chain reaction that sends Morocco and America into political turmoil, not to mention their family. There are no-name actors here, and they are not particularly stunning, but their story is touching. Another storyline, possibly the least memorable of the four, involves the children of Pitt and Blanchett and their Mexican nanny who takes them across the border. Gael Garcia Bernal is terribly underused in this portion of the movie, but when he is on screen he steals the show.
The best, most disturbing, and most pathetic storyline is that of Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi), a deaf-dumb Japanese girl suffering from unsatisfied sexuality. The lengths to which she goes to fulfill her desires are pitiful and moving, and her character is the most nuanced in the movie.
The cinematography is truly breathtaking in some parts of the film. I will be surprised if this is not up for a few Oscars at the end of the year. It is a profound movie and deserves recognition, but in my opinion, it does not convey its message nearly as clearly or deeply as it could have.
This is not to say that Babel is a bad movie. It is quite a good movie with very good performances. Brad Pitt is barely recognizable with a beard and several wrinkles. But the imperfection of his features doesn't matter when compared with the realistic passion behind his performance as the husband to a wife (Cate Blanchett) that mistrusts him. When his wife suffers from a bullet wound, you forget all about his stardom and focus on his love. Blanchett has less of a role to play as the wounded wife, but she effortlessly conveys the layers of her relationship with her husband behind the pain and anguish of her suffering.
The two Moroccan boys who shot her are part of a separate but interlocking story about a rural family in Morocco that just purchased its first rifle. When one of the boys shoots at the bus Blancett is on, it sets off a chain reaction that sends Morocco and America into political turmoil, not to mention their family. There are no-name actors here, and they are not particularly stunning, but their story is touching. Another storyline, possibly the least memorable of the four, involves the children of Pitt and Blanchett and their Mexican nanny who takes them across the border. Gael Garcia Bernal is terribly underused in this portion of the movie, but when he is on screen he steals the show.
The best, most disturbing, and most pathetic storyline is that of Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi), a deaf-dumb Japanese girl suffering from unsatisfied sexuality. The lengths to which she goes to fulfill her desires are pitiful and moving, and her character is the most nuanced in the movie.
The cinematography is truly breathtaking in some parts of the film. I will be surprised if this is not up for a few Oscars at the end of the year. It is a profound movie and deserves recognition, but in my opinion, it does not convey its message nearly as clearly or deeply as it could have.