My main criticism of the film is that there is not enough of Koji, who looks so handsome!
All the stories were pretty involving. There are a couple of holes in the plot, and
I thought that the Japanese link was tenuous, but the different stories are interesting in their own right, and contain some wonderful acting. The two Morrocan boys were entirely natural, as were the children who played the children of Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt. The only story I found a little irritating was the one involving the two major actors Cate and Brad, although all the stories were believable in that they could happen.
I understand that some of the cast of "Babel" were not actors. If so, it was certainly not obvious as they carried out a superb job in realising the fear and incomprehension when different languages and cultures collide. The Japanese story was, I felt, about the lack of communication between father and daughter, and the daughter's trauma and isolation that led to her attempts to gain affection by any means. Rinko Kikuchi was superb, although I would have liked to see more father/daughter interraction, and consequently more of Koji Yakusho, who can convey so much without even speaking.
Adriana Barraza was also superb as Amelia, and my heart broke for her.
January 29, 2007 (L.W. U.K.) |
