Babel
2006
**½
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Adriana Barrazza, Rinko Kikuchi, Koji Yakusho
Following Amores Perros and 21 Grams, Inarritu goes global in his third film about tragically interrelated lives, as an American rifle brings misery on three continents. The production values are high and the performances are strong, but the mosaic structure struggles to find a rhythm and the film never delivers the emotional payoff you're waiting for, not least because some of the characters are left hanging out to dry. The haunting score by Gustavo Santaolalla won an Oscar.
