Author Topic: Babel- spoiler edition  (Read 13684 times)

wilson1290

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Babel- spoiler edition
« Reply #10 on: January 12, 2007, 08:33:19 PM »
Just thought Id put in my two cents.

For me, Babel was definately a dissapointment coming from Innaritu, and I hate to make the comparisons to Crash but thats what happens when you try to construct a moral fable like these two films are. The movie ended up feeling like an overpolished story trying to be gritty, unlike Innaritu's other films which were raw and unrefined.

21 Grams for me was not an enjoyable movie, but my problems with that film lie more with the fact that its a 2 hour long hell ride with no redemption, rather than the actual direction of the movie. Innaritu got all the emotions right, which is why its not a great film, no one wants to go through hell unless its for something important (ex. Schindler's List)

I think Innaritu really loses something when he streches to far away from his homeland. For me, the nanny's storyline in Babel was the most intriguing because it managed to do what I think Alejandro was trying to do with the film, which is tell a great story while also dealing with contemporary problems. The topics of family, love, recklessness, they dont present themselves in the rest of the film without Innaritu beating are heads with political commentary first. He makes a bad choice when he focuses on the response to Cate Blanchett's shooting, it takes us away from what is really important which is the relationship between the couple.

Innaritu has forgotten that what made Amores Perros so great (and if you havent seen the film I highly reccomend it) isnt the fact that all these characters were connected, that was just a gimmick, it was the fact that it showed all of these relationships with their ups and downs and thats what I want to see. You cant make a political film without giving us characters we can attach ourselves to.
And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

MagnusFromBerlin

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Babel- spoiler edition
« Reply #11 on: January 15, 2007, 02:54:16 PM »
Quote from: "Bucho"
As far as Babel playing different to people of different backgrounds, my take is that's no more true for this film than any other.

Yeah, I might have gone a bit to far over the edge there... quite true

Bucho

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Babel- spoiler edition
« Reply #12 on: January 15, 2007, 03:38:13 PM »
Quote from: "MagnusFromBerlin"
Quote from: "Bucho"
As far as Babel playing different to people of different backgrounds, my take is that's no more true for this film than any other.

Yeah, I might have gone a bit to far over the edge there... quite true


Haha, no worries mate, I wasn't trying to bust your balls or say you were wrong or anything, I liked your post and any view is just as valid as mine. Nice two cents from Wilson too.

I need to make a little apology to Adam for saying "This is at odds with what I remember Adam's thought were, that somehow the characters were suffering fates not of their own making."

I'd misunderstood his review on the show but after listening to show 144 I realise he is actually agreeing with Sam that these are fully realised characters making real-life decisions. In fact Adam's uneasiness with the film's pessimism was hightened by exactly that aspect, the fact that Babel's people are so real makes the fact that they suffer harder to bear.
"I'm a star, I'm a star, I'm a star ... I am a big bright shining star."

karlwinslow

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Babel- spoiler edition
« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2007, 06:38:31 PM »
So I'm really surprised that Babel is getting all this praise in the award season.  While I don't think it's quite deserving I think Innaritu is very creative and ambitious.  But I started thinking about how much buzz it's getting and thought "Would it be so popular if Brad Pitt wasn't in it?"

Not to take anything away from the film, I think the best parts are the ones without Pitt, but I don't think it would get this much attention of he wasn't in the film.

Bucho

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Babel- spoiler edition
« Reply #14 on: January 15, 2007, 08:06:14 PM »
Quote from: "karlwinslow"
So I'm really surprised that Babel is getting all this praise in the award season.  While I don't think it's quite deserving I think Innaritu is very creative and ambitious.  But I started thinking about how much buzz it's getting and thought "Would it be so popular if Brad Pitt wasn't in it?"

Not to take anything away from the film, I think the best parts are the ones without Pitt, but I don't think it would get this much attention of he wasn't in the film.


I'm not going to pretend to understand or even care too much about the awards processes (except that I want Marty to win for sentimental reasons). I do think Babel is an absolute top quality film though, maybe not masterpiece but just below that. It's easily one of the top five of the year, and Pitt more than holds his own. He's as unshowy and real as all of the other actors Inarritu assembled.
"I'm a star, I'm a star, I'm a star ... I am a big bright shining star."

philip918

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Re: Babel- spoiler edition
« Reply #15 on: January 30, 2007, 01:29:53 AM »
I had an epiphany after watching this film, and it was this: Shit happens.  I didn't know it before, but shit does happen.  Sometimes you make a mistake and shit happens.  Sometimes you do all the right things and shit happens.  I mean, is that mind-blowing or what?  I think it should get the Oscar for most profound movie ever.

MagnusFromBerlin

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Re: Babel- spoiler edition
« Reply #16 on: January 30, 2007, 04:52:39 AM »
<rolling his eyes>

karlwinslow

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Re: Babel- spoiler edition
« Reply #17 on: January 30, 2007, 09:45:27 AM »
<rolling his eyes>

I think you mean this:   ::)

MagnusFromBerlin

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Re: Babel- spoiler edition
« Reply #18 on: January 30, 2007, 11:38:33 AM »
i found that a rather poor representation of what i wanted to express... so I went with the words...

tommy d

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Re: Babel- spoiler edition
« Reply #19 on: January 30, 2007, 09:04:31 PM »
I thought Alejandro Inarritu and Guillermo Arriaga produced an effective film, I was touched by the humanity of all of the characters and I was particularly moved by the plight and condition of all the men who were fathers, especially Youssef's father. I'm a father myself, so the film worked for me and I suffered with them.
I didn't have any problem with the multiple storylines and I thought it was better than 21 grams, which I felt was unrelenting in its misery, so I'm grateful for the restraint shown here. A lot is being made in the press about Chieko's story but I can't see that it is any more remarkable than the other strands.
Like Bucho the effect of the film on me was that I have spent a great deal of time thinking about it since I left the cinema, it has stayed with me which makes it a pretty good film.
""I am moved by fancies that are curled around these images, and cling:
The notion of some infinitely gentle infinitely suffering thing."

 

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