| Product: |
Babel (DVD) |
| Date: |
15/07/08 (86 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Babel is one of those films that I shied away from at the cinema purely because I knew they were trying for an Oscar and in my opinion that means a depressing film which will go on for way too long and will not actually be that enjoyable. However it came out on DVD and I saw it for £4 last Christmas so I thought for that amount why not give it a go as everyone had given it brilliant reviews. What I found was that it was a clever film which was very depressing but extremely enjoyable at the same time and here is why.
So basically this story is a bit of a tangled one and focuses on a few different stories which are all linked in their own special way. The first is a couple who are on a trip and get caught in the crossfire of some boys playing with guns. The lady gets shot and it is a race against time to help her in one story. Then in another story there is a young girl who is a deaf girl who has troubles communicating herself to people. Then the other story is with a woman looking after two kids who crosses the border without realising.
All together these stories come to life and you feel for all of the characters involved. They are quite real stories that remain quite factual and believable which is good for a film. I think they all play out very well indeed and although the film does go on for some bits you are grabbed by the very first moment it starts and till it ends you have a need to know what happens.
I would say each story plays out well and comes to a good conclusion and the film is depressing but there are moments that are uplifting and it is good to see how all of these people react to their surroundings. I think all of this will become more apparent to you if you watch the film.
There is not a huge amount of action in the film and there are not loads of special effects but this is more about people and how they act and speak and communicate their feelings to one another. It is quite a masterpiece to watch really.
Character wise and they are all very memorable. The young couple Richard and Susan are identifiable at every moment in the film and you really do feel for them at all times. The other characters are enjoyable but it is their story which grabs you the most. I do think though that you can believe every emotion in this film which itself makes the film quite amazing to watch.
Actor wise and everybody is brilliant. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett take on very different roles to what I am used to seeing them in and they both adapt to them very well which is great. I think they were perfectly cast and they make the film. I like Adriana Arraza who plays Amelia the housekeeper though as I think she shows perfect emotion in this film which is great to watch.
The film is a certificate 15 which I think is about right as there are some graphic images and some disturbing parts to the story. It goes on for just over 2 hours which I thought would be too long but it went by quite quickly. I don't think anything dragged in the film as it is quite fast paced I think and it does warrant all of the praise that it did receive.
I have the standard edition of the film which does not have any special features but I think you can get special editions which may have some. I would have liked to have heard about what prompted the director to make such a film as it is great.
In conclusion I think this is one of those films that is simply good and although it is depressing and you will want to watch something happy afterwards, I think it has some important messages about communication in. It is fantastic to see how the characters and stories unravel and I think this film would be enjoyed by most. It just loses one star for being so depressing!
Thanks for reading.
xxx
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