A-Z Movies Database

Babel DVD Review

View our special Babel feature!

"Babel" reviews

DVD
Babel
Author
anonymous
Date reviewed
2007-05-18 15:00:39
Provider
DVD Review

When Amores Perros and 21 Grams director Alejandro González Iñárritu took the reins for this triple-stranded film - the final part of his human trilogy tragedy - it was never going to be straightforward.

It's all sparked by a bullet from a rifle in the hands of the child of a Moroccan goat-herder hitting a tour bus and wounding Susan (Cate Blanchett), an American tourist holidaying (and hiding from depression) with husband Richard (Brad Pitt). They're forced to take refuge in a remote village where help is hours away while the media paint a story of terrorism against American citizens. Back in California they've done some irresponsible parenting of their own, Their children are with their unregistered Mexican nanny Amelia (Adriana Barraza), who takes herself and them over the border to attend her son's wedding, driven by her impetuous nephew Santiago (Gael Garcia Bernal). On their return they're stopped by the border patrol and Santiago panics.

The third interwoven strand is in Tokyo: Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi), a deaf mute schoolgirl, is struggling with the death of her mother and her sexual identity. At 'that age' her desperately clumsy attempts to find a sexual partner lead her into a club world for which she's ill-equipped and the arms of a policeman.

Babel is an extremely ambitious film. Cumbersome, uneven, predictable, unbelievable and at the same time compassionate, unnerving, insightful and moving. Iñárritu's vision is on one hand achieved within the first 40 minutes and on the other never fully realised. A lack of depth and caring for the characters results from the overt focus on the 'fables' parallels and their (somewhat simplistic) connectivity. Alongside the obsessive message of the contradiction in the modern day collapse of communication - when people talk but don't listen - the film becomes a failed classic. Undeniable is the passion and collective spirit of the film's makers and performers. It comes through powerfully on the significant 'construction' extra - a 90-minute making of - and it's what really gives you an insight into this film. Ironically, it's the antithesis of the film's theme and worth the price of the DVD alone.

Though likely to turn up on film-making courses and on the shelves of thoughtful cinephiles, this dense and thought-provoking film is unlikely to make it onto any holiday season viewing schedules.

Copyright © 2007.



Win! Win! Win!

New Moon Want to be the first to see New Moon? Enter our competition and you could win two tickets to a special preview screening in London.

Enter now

Precious Premiere Photos

Click any picture to enlarge…

  • Will Smith at the AFI Fest 2009 screening of Precious
  • Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey at the AFI Fest 2009 screening of Precious
  • Oprah Winfrey at the 34th Annual Toronto Film Festival premiere of Precious
  • Mariah Carey at the AFI Fest 2009 screening of Precious
  • Mary J. Blige at the 34th Annual Toronto Film Festival premiere of Precious
  • Mariah Carey at the New York screening of Precious

More "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire" premiere photos…

More premiere photos…

THIS WEEK'S POLL

Which of the following do you think has been the most disappointing film of 2009 so far?

View results without voting

Film fans discuss

Ice Age 3 So far this year the box office has been overrun with sequels, films based on novels, toys and brands. Are you bored by the lack of Hollywood's originality?

Discuss: Hollywood film ideas

News on your mobile

Get entertainment news on your mobile phone. Find out more

A-Z Movies Database