My Problem With Babel

I hate Babel. I only got to watch the movie last night and I thought it sucked. Before I tell you why I thought it sucked, I’d like to say that this is my opinion and my opinion alone. If you liked the movie and hate the things I’m about to say about it, then go write your own review of the film. I don’t care if you agree with me or not. But don’t go hatin’ on what I’m about to write for everyone has a right to like/dislike a movie.

Why didn’t I like the movie? It’s not because of the nudity, the unshaved vagina or the stereotypes. Hell, I didn’t even have any problems with the subtitles. I’m not that shallow.

I didn’t like it because everyone in the flick were acting stupid. All except for Brad Pitt’s family.

I like movies with one general tragedy. That’s how movies work. You have the main character and his tragedy. You watch the movie so that you’ll see how he resolves that issue. Now some movies have one tragedy then from there on, other tragedies will take place. But it’s still in line of the main tragedy and eventually, the protagonist (or in some cases, the antagonist) will get his resolve.

But in this movie, the main character suffers a tragedy and from there we get a worldwide repercussion of a small incident. To me, the concept of the whole movie is too far fetched. I guess my problem starts and ends in the storyline.

The movie relied on all the characters stupidity for the story to move on. And I really find the Japanese girl’s part unnecessary. I mean the whole his-father-owns-the-gun-that’s-involved-in-the-shooting angle seems to have been injected into the storyline by force just so Asia could have been represented in the movie.

Why do I say stupidity played a huge role in the movie? In no particular order;

1. It’s stupid to leave your kids alone with a fucking gun.

2. It’s stupid to shoot at cars and buses to test a fucking gun. Even kids know that.

3. It’s stupid for a nanny to bring his boss’ kids to Mexico for any reason.

4. It’s stupid to have a drunk relative to have you brought home from Mexico back to the US knowing that you have to go through customs.

5. It’s stupid for a Japanese girl to feel rejected by society just because she can’t find a fuck-buddy. Her being deaf-mute had nothing to do with it.

6. It’s stupid to leave children in the dessert.

7. It’s stupid and disturbing to see a father stare at her butt naked daughter in the balcony.

8. It’s stupid to have Brad Pitt kiss Cate Blanchett while she’s peeing on a bowl Brad Pitt is holding.

9. It’s stupid for the Moroccan kid to shoot at the police when all they had to do was surrender to stop the shooting.

Going back to the Japanese girl, the whole shooting incident never really affected her life unlike the other characters. She was the only main character who had no direct affiliation to the crime. Why were they focusing on her? They should have focused more on the father who owned the gun. They should have made the Jap girl part of her father’s story and not the other way around. And really now? Her father is a Japanese hunter? When was the last time you’ve heard of a Japanese guy hunting in the woods? – much more in Morocco?

And this movie had no resolve. The story didn’t revolve around the incident (the shooting) but it felt more like the incident WAS the story.

In the end I felt that the story was too ambitious. You can’t have a worldwide chain reaction based on a small shooting incident that’ll affect anyone on a personal level. Oh, well. It’s still not the worst movie I’ve seen so that’s good.

Now, if there’s anyone out there who could give me that Japanese chick’s number…