Review of Babel (2008) by Mike D — 10 Mar 2013

Nowadays, most films that take place in the middle east and north Africa are military and terrorist themed. 'Babel' takes another look at the region, instead focusing on a more civilian storyline that ends up intertwining with concurrent events spanning three different continents.

Even though 'Babel' is, at its core, a depressing film, there certainly are lessons that are key takeaways for the audience and make the film more involved. To start out, the four separate stories at the heart of 'Babel' seem extremely random, but as the plot thickens, pieces keep falling into place in a well-crafted way.

On the acting front, Brad Pitt gives one of his better performances in the last decade, but Adriana Barraza steals the show as a San Diego nanny who brings the children she cares for to her son's wedding in Mexico, as the celebratory affair turns into a harrowing trip back-and-forth across the border.

Sometimes it can be a challenge for a film with multiple story lines to weave them all together, but 'Babel' is the exception to the rule, as the transitions are far from jarring, although it's hard to tell if the timing is accurate at different points.

'Babel' also verges on being boring at times, and although it's not really supposed to be an exciting action film, it could definitely be a bit a little more fast-paced. Still, there are plenty of twists and turns that keep viewers' attention, and the film's score is outstanding, validated by the Academy Award it received.

'Babel' is a thought-provoking film that shows the ripples that are caused by a single incident, and is a prime case study for analyzing human behavior during trying times.