Disappointed by Babel

[Deadset]

Originally Posted by Rabidhunter

Crash, Traffic, and Syriana are three of my least favorite movies. They are very similar in style to Babel, I would have no interest in seeing this one either.

Disliked Traffic, despised Crash...haven't seen Syriana, never really appealed to me. I'll watch Babel on cable, but the outlook doesn't look good...

[Gremal]

Originally Posted by nycomet

Babel is a hodge podge of meaningless self-indulgence.

There are common themes and stylistic similarities between the subplots. If you did notice those themes, you know they're not meaningless. Whether Iñárritu pulled it off is another question.

It makes no sense at all. If you believe otherwise, please elaborate and explain the tie-in between the dicotomy of scenes.

Part of the problem is it requires audiences to think, to access other cultures and experiences, and explore their feelings about what they're seeing. You are clearly in a demographic that feels more comfortable dealing with content about your own cultural experiences and to react to what you're seeing without thinking. That's fine and it explains why you're a fan of Ugly Betty while you can't understand what people might find captivating about Babel. From my review:
In the Book of Genesis, the story of Babel reveals how mankind's push to overachieve backfires, leading to the spread of divine confusion and spiritual pain. The biblical story has inspired many artists over the centuries and director Alejandro Iñárritu is certainly an artist. If there was any doubt of that before, he dispels it here. . .
The film weaves tales of confusion, miscommunication, terror and alienation in Morocco, Tokyo, San Diego and Mexico. It begins as an arab father buys a rifle for his two sons to protect a goat herd from jackals. In a horrid test of target practice, the boys take aim at a bus winding on a mountain pass below. . .
The stories unfold in a nonlinear way as Iñárritu attempts to weave together the seemingly disconnected subplots. He valiantly attempts to link them together. Perhaps the strands should have been left separate and produced as different vignettes, each in a linear way, from beginning to end. But I admire Iñárritu for attempting to resolve a tricky narrative with so many unrelated characters. Whether he pulls it off is debatable, but his skill and vision is beyond doubt. . .
The film is not for everyone and has some disturbing content that portrays violence and nudity in ways that audiences are unaccustomed to seeing. The power and intensity of Iñárritu's craft is disarming. For those of us who like to be drawn into a truly inspired cinematographic experience, Babel comes strongly recommended.

[Hep]

Originally Posted by Gremal

Part of the problem is it requires audiences to think, to access other cultures and experiences, and explore their feelings about what they're seeing. You are clearly in a demographic that feels more comfortable dealing with content about your own cultural experiences and to react to what you're seeing without thinking. That's fine and it explains why you're a fan of Ugly Betty while you can't understand what people might find captivating about Babel.

I think you have read my mind. I have travelled extensively around the world a feel I have a great appreciation for other cultures, and that may explain my connection with the film. My wife, on the other hand, has never been outside Canada, but was equally affected by the plight of the characters - it is one of the only movies she has instantly wanted to view again. In the end, I think this movie necessarily requires empathy to be effective.

[hwyseung]

Originally Posted by nycomet

Hello? I did not see John Travolta, Samuel Jackson or Uma Thurman masturbating in Pulp Fiction. Do you have an unreleased directors cut? Babel was a disturbing film. It seems to suggest that humans are extremely miserable. That's all I got from the film.

Well, I guess you didn't find a guy's head being exploded by an accidental gunshot or a father having sex with his daugther disturbing enough.

And I think Babel's ending is rather hopeful than miserable.

But anyway, if you didn't like the movie, you just didn't like it. I'm not saying you didn't get the movie.

[mdtulp]

Originally Posted by nycomet

There was a fat chick working at Best Buy last weekend and she was sweating profusely. I got a whiff of her B. O. and it smelled like chicken soup. The stench was worse than watching Babel in HD. I would rather sniff Rosie O'Donnell's crotch than to ever watch Babel again.

Has any one else seen it?

I've seen it, and I liked the directors previous work in AMORES PERROS, all his films seem to have interconnecting stories but Babel's was kind of hard to find. I think what he was going for was the consequences of people's misunderstanding of each other, Pitt and Blanchett had issues that couldnt get resolved, the Japanese girl was mute and deaf so to get people to understand was sometimes hard, just like in Amores Perros, the dogs were the theme to the movie but it was about people who's identity were linked with those of their dogs, Kinda like Crash but more abstract and multidemensional. So there it is did I do Ok, or are you still confused (LOL)

[DeathByAsh'aman]

Meh. I got what the movie was, got what it was trying to say i just didnt dig it. I just felt like the guy was trying to force feed me this stuff. I like movies where they convey the message without shoving it down your throat.

Although i must say that thinking about it now it seems better to me then when i watched it, maybe ill have a second go.

[GreenScar]

I won't say this movie was a masterpiece, but it wasn't that bad either. The stories were very random (from each other) until the end. Not really one of those movies for multiple viewings IMO.

[DeathByAsh'aman]

Ok watched it again and i can say that i totally dig the concept i just dont think it worked for me. Oh well!

[ixlegitballinxl]

like the different point of views, would say an original movie, def worth watching

[Anthony P]

Do yourself a favour and don't rely on the OP's views to cheat yourself out of watching a powerful film. I don't blame anyone for voicing their opinion, but it would be unfortunate if it robbed you of experiencing something that you may find profound (you may not, but you may never know).

agree, especially when you get the feeling that the OP hasn't even seen it.

[Show spoiler] for example it is obvious, it is not her father, it is obvious the three stories are interlinked.....

[Octavio]

Babel is a masterpice, period!

Yeah I know that some people feels uneasy and uncomfortable while watching it because in this movie you get to see some things that aren't easy to watch but that happens everyday even if you never have seen them.

BTW to travel around the world might not always help you to understand different cultures.
I could travel the rest of my life (if I could afford it) around the world always arriving to the best hotels, eating in the same kind of restaurants or buying big macs or KFC and never ever trying to interact with local people unless if they speak english.

That's how many executives travels around the world and still knows nothing about the culture of the countries they just have visited.

You gotta respect the local culture, to make friends with the common people from those places, Not to be a typical tourist but somebody who likes to understand different people with different beliefs and ideas.

[nycomet]

Originally Posted by Octavio

Babel is a masterpice, period!

Yeah I know that some people feels uneasy and uncomfortable while watching it because in this movie you get to see some things that aren't easy to watch but that happens everyday even if you never have seen them.

BTW to travel around the world might not always help you to understand different cultures.
I could travel the rest of my life (if I could afford it) around the world always arriving to the best hotels, eating in the same kind of restaurants or buying big macs or KFC and never ever trying to interact with local people unless if they speak english.

That's how many executives travels around the world and still knows nothing about the culture of the countries they just have visited.

You gotta respect the local culture, to make friends with the common people from those places, Not to be a typical tourist but somebody who likes to understand different people with different beliefs and ideas.

I will watch Babel again someday. I supposed it's a testament to great film making for a movie to evoke such an uncomfortable emotional response from a viewer.

[Scripture]

Originally Posted by nycomet

I will watch Babel again someday. I supposed it's a testament to great film making for a movie to evoke such an uncomfortable emotional response from a viewer.

You just hit the nail on the head. Bingo!

[Octavio]

Originally Posted by Gremal

Part of the problem is it requires audiences to think, to access other cultures and experiences, and explore their feelings about what they're seeing. You are clearly in a demographic that feels more comfortable dealing with content about your own cultural experiences and to react to what you're seeing without thinking. That's fine and it explains why you're a fan of Ugly Betty while you can't understand what people might find captivating about Babel. From my review:

I couldn't have said it better

[Hep]

Originally Posted by Octavio

Babel is a masterpice, period!
BTW to travel around the world might not always help you to understand different cultures.
I could travel the rest of my life (if I could afford it) around the world always arriving to the best hotels, eating in the same kind of restaurants or buying big macs or KFC and never ever trying to interact with local people unless if they speak english.

That's how many executives travels around the world and still knows nothing about the culture of the countries they just have visited.

You gotta respect the local culture, to make friends with the common people from those places, Not to be a typical tourist but somebody who likes to understand different people with different beliefs and ideas.

I completely agree. I don't do the "American tourist" thing; travelling for pleasure is not environmentally friendly. I always immerse myself in the local culture when outside the Western Hemisphere. Why go anywhere if you are just going to eat KFC and stay on a resort? Besides, I travel as a function of my job (I'm a pilot) and don't usually end up at the tourist destinations - thankfully.

[Blu n Gold]

Originally Posted by nycomet

Hello? I did not see John Travolta, Samuel Jackson or Uma Thurman masturbating in Pulp Fiction. Do you have an unreleased directors cut? Babel was a disturbing film. It seems to suggest that humans are extremely miserable. That's all I got from the film.

What's wrong with masturbation? People do it everyday, it is a part of life. The stories lightly connected which I do not believe was necessary. The title should give you a clue as to what the movie was about. I am not going to tell you, try and figure it out.

It was a difficult movie. I thought it was a great film, but I still don't feel the need to watch it again.

[jdc115]

Originally Posted by tommyboy81

I'm glad I can't remember much of the movie except it was a Crash rip-off

OK, I haven't gone through this thread, but why do ppl this Babel is a Chash ripoff? Isn't Crash a Amores Perros ripoff? And since it is by the same director, he just ripped off himself.

Here is the plot sub of Amores: A horrific car accident connects three stories, each involving characters dealing with loss, regret, and life's harsh realities, all in the name of love

And it came out in 2000.

[Blu n Gold]

Originally Posted by jdc115

OK, I haven't gone through this thread, but why do ppl this Babel is a Chash ripoff? Isn't Crash a Amores Perros ripoff? And since it is by the same director, he just ripped off himself.

Here is the plot sub of Amores: A horrific car accident connects three stories, each involving characters dealing with loss, regret, and life's harsh realities, all in the name of love

And it came out in 2000.

no...

Crash the 2004 Academy Award winning Best Picture is the film Babel is being compared to.

[Octavio]

Originally Posted by tommyboy81
I'm glad I can't remember much of the movie except it was a Crash rip-off

Babel is part of a trilogy by González Iñárritu that makes use of traumatic events to interconect different stories.
The writer of Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel is the same (Guillermo Arriaga).

Babel's 1st draft was written in 2003, even before Crash was released, so how on earth Babel could be a rip-off from Crash as you have stated? makes no sense at all.

[jdc115]

Originally Posted by nycomet

I will watch Babel again someday. I supposed it's a testament to great film making for a movie to evoke such an uncomfortable emotional response from a viewer.

If a movies has no plot or story but can do that do that for me, then I will enjoy it. Part of the reason I like Babel was for the uncomfortable feeling it gives me. Also, I believe Kikuchi-san's performance was amazing.