"Babel" Movie Review

About a couple of months ago, I had a chance to watch the movie "Babel" with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchet as their main attraction to the film. I know this review was far overdue, but since it's now a new year for all of us, I'd still wanted to write this review, anyway.

"Babel" is a movie composed of four ill-twisted, intertwining fate stories. The first one is the story of two brothers caught up in a situation they can never escape, the second story revolves around a couple stranded in the middle of a life and death situation, the third story is about a nanny, the children she is taking care of and their misadventure across the Mexican border and finally, the fourth story is about a disturbed Japanese deaf girl who lacks love and attention. Their stories are bonded by a rifle.


Although the word "Babel" always pictures us a mighty tower of power or something, just check the Bible, the word "Babel" in the movie's title was not clearly stated in the movie in any context, symbolism, signs or medium in one way or another. This confuses the audience on why the movie is entitled that way.

The movie also has put the rifle thingie for just one thing and only one thing alone — that is, to have a twist in the movie. As I look at the storyboard of the movie, there are four stories that can stand by itself. It's like watching four anthologies in one movie, period. The rifle thingie is not necessary in the movie. Again, I have to point out that the rifle only gave the twist in the story, nothing more, nothing less.

The movie itself is so big, it needed four stories that were shown or presented in a nonlinear manner or way of storytelling. For me, Babel lacks something, maybe I was just looking for some Brad Pitt in action, or an intense argument between the poor brothers, or a suicidal manifestation in the Japanese mute girl character, or maybe some character developments among the casts. I don't know.

Babel could have been a very good movie because it tackles a lot of issues in the society, among family members, partners, relatives and even self-related issues. Sex, violence, love, responsibilities, drugs and family relationship are the core values that a person watching the film could get if the story or stories were presented properly, wisely and appropriately. Worthy of my 2.75 ratings for production wise setup and design, effort on presenting the movie, technicals and story.


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