With a plot structure not unlike his previous “Amores Perros”
or “21 Grams”, director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu “Babel” is another great film of the same
genre though not as brilliant as his previous 2 ventures.
Four parallel stories take place within days if not hours of each other. In Morocco, the
father of a goat herding family buys a rifle from a neighbor. Set to guard the
flock from predators, his two sons decide to do some target practice, and a
careless act will create havoc and distress for innocent victims and have
severe repercussions for others.
In the bus, an American couple, Richard (Brad Pitt) and Susan (Cate Blanchett),
are having a marital crisis when all of a sudden their world is turned upside
down. The tour bus stops at a remote village as the passengers begin to stir
and fear for their own safety. As the Moroccan police investigate the incident,
Richard is desperate to save the life of his wife amid primitive surroundings
in a foreign land.
The couple’s two children in California
are under the care of their nanny, Amelia (Adriana Barraza), who is anxious to
go to her son’s impending wedding. After failing to find suitable caregivers to
watch over the children, she takes them with her to Mexico. Escorted by her volatile
nephew Santiago
(Gael Garcia Bernal), they drive to a festive wedding ceremony and reception.
Afterwards, they are stopped at a border checkpoint where events turn
nightmarish.
In Japan,
a lonely teenaged deaf and mute girl, Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi), finds that her
disability distances her from other people – the boys she is interested in
looks at her like she is a monster – and frustrated and desperate to be loved,
she indulges in various acts compromising on her dignity. Her father, Yasujiro
(Koji Yakusho) is inadequate as a parent since his wife died. As detectives
want to question her father , Cheiko is smitten by a younger detective and
unleashes a torrent of passion and secrets.
The final moments of the film are memorable as each storyline becomes clearer
and potent in their revelations and truths. Time slips back and forth and
certain events catch up to the others (Christopher Nolan’s “Memento” comes to
mind). The threads that connect the different stories are not as obvious as one
might expect and when they do become apparent, they hold emotional meaning.
What is so remarkable is how a innocent prank sets off a chain reaction of
angst and responsibility.
The cast comprising mainly of unknown star cast (save for
Pitt and Blanchett and if u are an avid movie watcher Gael Garcia Bernal and
Michael Pena) has performed brilliantly .Special credit must go to the Japanese
actor Rinko Kikuchi who can put Rani Mukerjee to shame. The movie is a bit long
and boring in parts (I found the Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett part a bit boring),
but its just a few glitches for a great movie. It has already has notched up loads of golden globe
nominations, it is certain to pick up a few Oscars too. Certainly a must watch.