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Herald rating: * * * *
Babel is the third collaboration between director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga and, as with their previous works, is a collection of precariously interwoven stories.
The title refers to the biblical tower of Babel, built reaching towards heaven to help
attain Paradise. Instead it incited the wrath of God who scattered those involved, giving them all different languages to speak.
In Babel, each character is struggling to communicate, whether trying to understand a foreign language, being deaf and mute, or dealing with a relationship breakdown. But the film explores more than just communication.
Each story examines issues facing humanity in a post-9/11 world, and how stereotypes and cultural insensitivity often lead us to make assumptions about people and situations far removed from the reality.
The film begins in Morocco where two young brothers decide to test their father's new Winchester rifle while herding goats. The dramatic consequence of their action is felt by family and neighbours, but also by an American couple with marital problems who are holidaying in Morocco. The film also follows a Mexican domestic worker in California who decides to smuggle her two young charges across the border to her son's wedding in Mexico, and a deaf mute teenage girl in Japan, desperate for affection and understanding.
The stories are easy to follow, even though they travel back and forward in time, but are most interesting as individual stories rather than together.
Unlike other films with converging stories, it's not so much about working out what the connection is, but appreciating the story from the varying points of view of each character. The Japanese story of Chieko is the weakest, and it's frustrating to leave the other more gripping stories, often at crucial moments.
The stories are treated equally. Those expecting to see a Brad Pitt film will be disappointed as, along with Blanchett who plays his wife, he gets little screen time. Each performance is carefully weighted, with Inarritu extracting stunning performances from each character regardless of how big or small their role. Even Pitt manages to hold his own.
There are some truly heartfelt moments in this film, with Inarritu using tragedy as a catalyst for most of these characters to reconnect to each other. However, there is also a pervading sense of gloom as Babel illustrates how significant the barriers created by language can be.
With seven Golden Globe nominations and the Best Director award from Cannes 2006 tucked under its belt, Babel is no doubt looking forward to the announcement of its Oscar nominations. Best to see it before the hype takes over.
Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Adriana Barraza, Koji Yakusho
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Running Time: 145 mins
Rating: R16, violence, offensive language, drug use and sexual themes Screening: Rialto, SkyCity, Hoyts and Berkeley cinemas
Verdict: Stunning performances make up for questionable plot machinations in border-crossing drama