Babel (2006)

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Cast: Brad Pitt as Richard Jones, Cate Blanchett as Susan Jones, Mohamed Akhzam as Anwar, Peter Wight as Tom, Harriet Walter as Lilly, Trevor Martin as Douglas, Matyelok Gibbs as Elyse, Georges Bousquet as Robert, Claudine Acs as Jane, André Oumansky as Walter, Michael Maloney as James, Dermot Crowley as Barth, Wendy Nottingham as Tourist #1, Henry Maratray as Tourist #2, Linda Broughton as Tourist #3

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Babel weaves four disparate and seemingly
unrelated tales into a distinct, gritty narrative about the importance
of communication - and what can happen when it goes awry. The movie is
oftentimes difficult to watch, with ultrarealistic cinematography and
gutsy, honest performances from its entire cast, particularly
Oscar-nominated actresses Adriana Barraza (Amelia) and Rinko Kikuchi
(Chieko).

Told nonlinearly, the movie describes the travails of a troubled
married couple with a tour group in Morocco, played by Brad Pitt and
Cate Blanchett. Something in their past has driven them apart, and to
help deal with the problem they have taken a trip together. Meanwhile,
the sons of a shepherd fight over who's the better shot with their new
rifle and fire a blast at the couple's tour bus, critically wounding
Susan (Blanchett).

Richard (Pitt) calls home in San Diego to notify the nanny of their
children, Amelia; Amelia is in a bit of a bind, because she expected
the parents home so she could attend the wedding of her son in Mexico.
With Richard and Susan not returning soon, and with no one else
available to watch the children, she takes them with her to the
wedding.

In Japan, a deaf-mute Japanese girl acts out in reaction to her
mother's suicide, which she discovered; the virginal Chieko becomes a
huge sexual flirt, even removing her panties in a crowded restaurant to
flash older boys. Chieko craves human contact but feels that the
world's even more shut off to her now than ever before, and she
sullenly shuns even her father's attentions.

It should go without saying that this film really isn't for everyone.
It's gut-wrenchingly tough to watch at times, especially when Susan's
wound is being treated. You can readily imagine how it'd be if you, an
unworldly American, were suddenly in dire need of expert medical
attention in a part of the world that wasn't really famed for it.
That's enough to strike terror in me already, and I haven't even
mentioned how Richard and Susan are awaiting help to arrive in a small,
impoverished village with no running water or electricity - and only
one person who can speak English to them.

How exactly these stories are commingled becomes evident as the movie
progresses, but it's not all elegantly laid out for the viewer to
immediately grasp; this is accomplished in part by the nonlinear
storytelling. We see a scene near the end of the movie that is a mirror
image of one from the beginning, except told from a different
character's perspective. That's a tribute to the wonderful camera-work
and editing by, respectively, Rodrigo Prieto and the team of Douglas
Crise and Stephen Mirrone.

Barraza turns in a powerful, heart-breaking performance; at one point,
she's stranded in the middle of the Sonoran desert with her two young
charges clad in her dress from the wedding. Dazed by the blistering
heat, Amelia cannot gain her bearings in the blazing heat, and she
despairs. Then she makes a critical decision with devastating
consequences.

Kikuchi is absolutely mesmerizing as the silent Chieko. Without
uttering one word, she's able to convey a vast array of emotions, from
loneliness to hostility to love to lust to affection. She's alternately
serene and violent, in charge of and captured by her impediment. Chieko
resents her father, her volleyball teammates, and most of all every
so-called normal person who looks at deaf-mutes as monsters, creatures
to be scorned and taken advantage of. Like Barraza, Kikuchi's role
called for a difficult sacrifice: plenty of nudity.

Babel is a spellbinding, multifaceted story with towering, passionate
performances by all of the leads. It's full of moxie and stark realism,
and despite some minor plot implausibilities, it's a true feather in
the cap for Inarritu.