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Babel (2006) DVD Review
Babel (2006) DVD Credits:
Babel (2006) Directed by:
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Babel (2006) Written by:
Guillermo Arriaga
Babel (2006) Cast:
Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Koji Yakusho, Elle Fanning
Babel (2006) Released by:
Anonymous Content
Region:
1
Babel (2006) DVD Release Date:
20th February 2007
Our Rating: Extras Rating:

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Babel (2006) Synopsis:

Armed with a Winchester rifle, two Morrocan boys set out to look after their family's herd of goats. In the silent echoes of the desert, they decide to test the rifle... but the bullet goes farther than they thought it would. In an instant, the lives of four separate groups of strangers on three different continents collide. Caught up in the rising tide of an accident that escalates beyond anyone's control are a vacationing American couple (Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett), a rebellious deaf Japanese teenager and her father, and a Mexican nanny who, without permission, takes two American children across the border. None of these strangers will ever meet; in spite of the sudden, unlikely connection between them, they will all remain isolated due to their own inability to communicate meaningfully with anyone around them. From Alejandro González Iñárritu comes a film that is at once intimate and epic, shot in four countries, cast with actors and non-actors, and concludes his trilogy that started with "Amores Perros" and "21 Grams."

Babel (2006) DVD Review:

I was nearly too worried about how depressing Babel would be to the point where I almost didn’t want to see the film. Although I loved Amores Perros, I found 21 Grams to be unbearably bleak, and wasn’t looking forward to a hopeless film. I was pleasantly surprised to find that director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu doesn’t keep hitting the same note with his final film in the trilogy of suffering. The final film is certainly the towering achievement, containing some incredible sequences and amazing acting.

Although the entire film takes place in four different countries, it is a tragic accident in Morocco that sets off all of the events in each of these countries. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett are a couple on vacation in Morocco, struggling to get their life back on track when an accidental shooting puts their vacation and all of their plans in turmoil. At the same time in the United States their nanny has nobody to watch their kids while she goes to a wedding in Mexico, so she brings them with her, driven by her sketchy relative (Gael Garcia Bernal). In what seems to be a completely unrelated storyline until further into the story, a deaf girl in Japan struggles to deal with her mother’s suicide paired with an odd obsession with her own sexuality.

Although we are told that this international incident is all over the news with the world aware of the situation, we remain close to those directly involved, and they are nowhere near a television with the news. Despite the fact that Babel takes place across several continents, there is an extreme intimacy in the stories, so as to keep us in direct contact with each individual’s suffering which is shown to be something extremely universal. This might just sound like 21 Grams and Amores Perros on a larger international scale, but this is certainly the strongest in Inarritu’s trilogy of pain, mostly because he allows a great deal of hope to run through the film. An act of kindness from a stranger unwilling to accept money for his help in Morocco shows a small ounce of humanity which clears away so much hurt for a moment.

A DVD with only a theatrical trailer and previews as special features is a good indication of a special edition DVD to be released after award season. Fans of the film may want to own it right away, or have no use for special features, but those who are patient and frugal might consider waiting before buying this simple package.

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Babel (2006) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

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