Babel (official site) Highly anticipated, surrounded with much Oscar buzz, just collected a Golden Globe for best Film and very much hyped. Most of the times that ends in disappointed when you finally get to see it in the cinema. But not this time.
This is film making from the heart, and if this film doesn’t touch you it’s time to have your heart checked.
Yes Brat Pitt is in it, and so is Cate Blanchett. She seems to be in everything at the moment and seems to get away with kissing both Bill Nighy (Notes on a Scandal), Brat Pitt (Babel) and George Clooney (The Good German) in the same year. Lucky girl. She was asked who the best kisser was in an interview, and the answer was, oh, lets not go there …
Brat and Cate are not at all the biggest stars in this 4 interlinked stories drama, their roles are relatively small. The film taking place in Mexico, China and Morocco and language and (mis)communication is an important part of the story. Big stars for me where the 2 Berber boys in Morocco, but the biggest performance in this film for me is delivered by a Japanese deaf-mute girl (played by Rinko Kikuchi). She can’t speak (obviously) and can’t hear, but her story of not being accepted, laughed at, and so desperately wanting to belong is heartbreaking to watch. The same goes for the older Berber woman taking care of Cate Blanchett after she is shot. Medical help and hospitals are lacking, they are far from Western civilasation, and this old lady comforts her and takes care of her in a way that make you feel warm in side.
The soundtrack is beautiful, the lack of sound in some of her scenes was well done, and overall all actors (Gael Garcia Bernall is in it too) gave great performances.
If you want to complain about anything in this film it might be that the way these people across the planet are linked to each other is a bit far out. For me that didn’t really matter that much, as the 4 stories were all strong and interesting enough to be watched no matter how they were linked.
If you want to see a film with a heart on the very right please, go see Babel, and be touched.
I couldn’t have said it better!
Is it a date material film? I can’t decide between this one, and The pursuit of Happyness. I’m not terribly good at picking movies, and even worse when it comes to picking movies for dates! So…any idea?
Oh, sorry to say this, but I found the Persuit of Happyness absolute crap.
Babel is a perfect film for a date. You definetely have something to talk about afterwards, and it makes you feel good! Trust me.