On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 15/52 |
Les Winan |
Great work by the cast in this well-made, painful to watch film that ultimately collapses under the weight of itself. Just not a fun experience. |
| 22/68 |
Michael Bentley |
The acting is great and it is technically impressive, though emotionally draining. |
| 23/200 |
Max Braden |
Effectively painful to watch. |
| 57/65 |
Kim Hollis |
Dull, self-important, and grim. Just as contrived as Crash, but with no hope. |
| 129/159 |
David Mumpower |
Crash wannabe does nothing but tell sad, pointless stories. It's self-indulgent and not the least bit entertaining. Easily the worst Best Picture nominee. |
In both Amores Perros and 21 Grams, director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (try saying that three times fast), weaved together several interlocking dramatic storylines in a nonlinear fashion. These were raw, emotional films dealing with aspects of the human experience. Both of those were critical hits and were nominated for three Oscars between them.
With Babel, the artiste is back at it again. Brad Pitt stars as Richard and Cate Blanchett is Susan, a married couple struck by tragedy while on vacation in Morocco. But that is just one of the storylines, as Babel also visits Tunisia, Mexico, and Japan in what is sure to be a visually arresting and emotionally draining experience for viewers. Gael Garcia Bernal, whose breakout role was in Amores Perros, also stars. Guillermo Arriago, whose work includes Perros and 21 Grams, wrote the script.
21 Grams also had major league stars in Sean Penn and Naomi Watts, and is probably the most reasonable comparison for Babel as well. Unless it bombs or is a critical misfire, expect a gradual rollout into various domestic markets and plenty of talk come awards season. (Michael Bentley/BOP)
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