7. Babel (2006)

This film is very much in the vein of Crash, using the multiple storylines approach. If it wasn’t for Martin Scorsese having to win the Oscar by law that year, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu probably would have taken home Best Director. There are four major storylines going on, and they all work. The deaf Japanese girl (Rinko Kikuchi) is the only one that loses steam, but the other three have a strong connective tissue. I like the simplicity of one bullet having this incredible ripple effect on multiple characters and countries. It’s a brilliant concept. The best storyline is probably that of the nanny (Adriana Barraza), and the two kids she cares for. While slow at first, it becomes the most tense storyline of them all. I didn’t see this in the theater, but I’m sure this was the most agonizing and emotional thread to sit through with an audience. The toughest performance to pull off though may have been Brad Pitt’s role. While on a trip to Morocco, his entire story is basically sitting in a dark room with his injured wife (Cate Blanchett). It’s up to Pitt to keep this plot interesting the whole way through as he not only fears for his wife’s life, but he also has to face the wrath of impatient tourists. While slow at times, Babel is definitely a movie experience you should see at least once.

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