Weekly Review -- (Belated) Oscar weekend

Babel (2006) -- A global mosaic of culture shock, collision and miscommunication, Alejandro González Iñárritu's Babel illustrates the paradoxical nature of our world in vivid and often disturbing hues. With all the advances in science and technology and with the world's borders becoming more fluid each and every day, people are drifting further and further away from one another, never stopping to pay attention to the person next to them.


**SPOILERS AHEAD**


The story starts in Morocco, where two little boys, Yussef (Boubker Ait El Caid) and Ahmed (Said Tarchani) are playing with guns. At the same time, Richard (Brad Pitt) and Susan (Cate Blanchett) are on holiday; in the ultimate wrong-place-and-wrong-time situation, Susan gets shot. The shooting turns into a political and international incident, simultaneously affecting not only the above mentioned characters, but also deaf mute Japanese teenager Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi) and Richard and Susan's Mexican maid Amelia (Adriana Barraza). Every one of these characters is about to be faced with choices; while some will choose wisely, others are going to end up making extremely bad decisions.

The value of Babel does not only lie in the skillfully crafted story of cross-cultural intersections and effects that familiar strangers may unconsciously have on one another's existence. Its main value, in my opinion, is its depiction of ordinary people caught up in problems beyond their control. Their circumstances and relationships are drawn out in Guillermo Arriaga's raw and powerful screenplay, full of meaningful moments conveyed by looks alone. The first dialogue between Richard and Susan immediately comes to mind, as does the wedding ceremony and the very last scene. The words are few and far between, with the script leaving the human body to do the talking and the eyes to do the longing. Iñárritu does not feel the need to spice up the writing with filler actions; rather, he allows his performers to create cinematic life by finding genuine reactions and feelings in the dialogue. I also have to heap praise upon Gustavo Santaolalla, whose reflective and ethnically inspired music provides a rich backdrop for the events unfolding on screen.

Most of the performances are effective in an emotionally charged way. Barraza and Kikuchi were rightfully hailed by the majority of reviewers, although there are some other notable characterizations. Barraza's Amelia is a desperate woman, who navigates through her situation like a sailor lost at sea. She makes instinctive decisions, with no sense or reason; she is guided by necessity, which proves to be nearly fatal. Kikuchi's Chieko is a ticking time bomb, about to explode with pent-up anger and pain; the scene in which she finally breaks down is a sight to behold. There were two other stand-out performances for me. One of them was Boubker Ait El Caid as Yussef, a child growing up in the context of unforgiving mentality and impossible conditions, who understands more about the meaning of family than we may think at first. The other one was Mohamed Akhzam's quiet and dignified portrayal of Anwar, the Moroccan villager who provides a voice of honorable stability in the chaos of the shooting.

There were only a couple of negative aspects to Babel. The film gets lost in its own narrative on occasion, dragging on and verging on pretentiousness; thankfully, it never crosses this line. The Tokyo story, as clever as it is, represents quite a stretch for the story's six degrees modus operandi, but that can be easily overlooked, since the characters are humanized in such a believable way.

Films that deal with the human condition are rare nowadays; films that deal with it in an international context are even harder to find. Finally, films that look at life from a philosophical perspective and that question the way we treat fellow human beings are almost impossible to find. Babel belongs in all these categories and, while it is not the best film of 2006, it is certainly in the top three.

8/10


The Departed (2006) -- The film that won the Best Director Oscar for Martin Scorsese and this year's Oscar for Best Picture, The Departed is a drama that explores the fine line between the law and the criminal underworld. Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an undercover police officer infiltrating an Irish-American gang, run by ruthless Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). At the same time, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is assigned to be Frank's agent in the police force. Both men deal with the pressure and demands of their positions, and each digs deep within himself to stay afloat in the merciless world of organized crime. However, secrets get uncovered, betrayals are committed and each man eventually finds himself in jeopardy of being compromised... The gritty screenplay, taut direction and excellent acting is what takes this film from a crime story to a human drama. William Monahan's screenplay gives us multi-dimensional characters with a lot on their plate and high odds stacked against them. DiCaprio is incredible as the conflicted Costigan, torn between his professional duties, a need to prove himself and his personal life. Nicholson's Costello is a violent hedonist who gets what he wants, regardless of the price. Matt Damon is also very good as Sullivan, although he often gets overshadowed by the previously mentioned two performances. The only Oscar-nominated performance -- Mark Wahlberg as Dignam -- did not impress me. I did not think that the character was particularly striking, nor that Wahlberg did something unique with the role. Personally, I would have nominated Nicholson in a heartbeat. There are some nice supporting turns, namely from Martin Sheen as the chief of police and Vera Farmiga as the police psychiatrist. An unpredictable story populated with shady characters, The Departed is one of the best and most eloquent crime dramas of recent years.

9/10