A Blog of a Jordanian, blogging from the Middle East, known for being audacious and unafraid to express anything that does not conform to his mentality.

Movie Review: Babel

Posted: March 2nd, 2007 | Author: Moey | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , | 15 Comments »

“If You Want to be Understood…Listen”

I am impressed.

Surprisingly the movie was understandable without subtitles, although it had the following languages used (Japanese Sign Language, French, English, Spanish, Japanese, Berber and Arabic).

I found it very interesting and compelling especially that It had 3 stories with the weirdest connections ever! it has plots that intertwine. and I also think that It’s so underrated, the movie is stuck in my head, the story.. I can’t stop thinking of it, the moroccan actors were amazing even better than Brad Bitt himself. I honestly wanted to go to the toilet but couldn’t resist leaving the theater (the movie is that good) also the theater was empty (4pm, zara center on a thursday can you imagine?) only me, 4 of my friends and a couple in the back, the movie was slightly cut (few seconds when it showed nudity) and also not recommended for people who like to talk during the movie because they’d either get killed or kicked out.

The title “Babel” refers to the story of the Tower of Babel in the Biblical Book of Genesis. In the story, the people of the world are all united and speak a common language. They begin to build a tower to reach the heavens and become godlike themselves. God, seeing this, decides to confuse the language of the people and destroy the tower. When the people could no longer understand each other they gave up work on the tower and spread out to different parts of the world. It also refers to the connections -or lack thereof- that come through the use of language. In each storyline the characters struggle with surviving and self-identification based on misunderstanding through a language barrier. This film ultimately looks at the fact that we are all intimately connected on a life-and-death level, yet the trivialities of langauge and misunderstandings break us apart.

Totally worth every single penny of the 5 JD (to enjoy the movie Moey recommends a large soda and nachos with extra cheese)

+ More about “Babel”.

Oh, and the soundtrack is amazing, I WANT THE ORIGINAL CD..

Score: 5 / 5

15 Comments on “Movie Review: Babel”

  1. 1 Sou said at 4:03 PM on March 2nd, 2007:

    ‘Babel’ meant a mixture of noises and voices.

    I was going to get the movie embare7, bas I ended up buying Blood Diamond instead :p

  2. 2 Sou said at 4:03 PM on March 2nd, 2007:

    Ouff, my comment didn’t make sense…I wanted to say ‘by babel, i thought they meant a mixture of noises and voices.’

  3. 3 Moey said at 4:12 PM on March 2nd, 2007:

    LOL ok, I got it :)

  4. 4 Qwaider قويدر said at 8:41 PM on March 2nd, 2007:

    This is one awesome movie (I totally agree), I reviewed it back in october and later that evening met with Alejandro González Iñárritu the producer and it was a night to remember.

    Good taste man … good taste :)

  5. 5 Rebellious Arab Girl said at 11:45 PM on March 2nd, 2007:

    It was an OK movie.

    I can’t wait to watch 300!!

  6. 6 M Y A said at 12:47 AM on March 3rd, 2007:

    :| I’m totally shocked!
    this movie is the worst i’ve ever seen since 2 years! I understand that the director wanted to make a wierd connection between the stories but it is so easy! the scenes in some parts is totally over lengthed (like when the american couple got shoot in morroco). For 2 hours and 20 min i was looking for a major event connect the 3 stories together. i should not held my breathe!
    Babel wont get 1 on my rating. the only reason he won the golden globe and nominated for oscars is the majority of the american mainstream is lifeless to a point they might see any movie tells sotries about the other parts from the world regardless the very weak link between them.
    Babel: The worst movie of the year. thank god the oscars respect themselves and did not give it any award. Golden Globe is over for me
    oh, hi! :D

  7. 7 Moey said at 3:09 AM on March 3rd, 2007:

    I disagree mya

  8. 8 Vas said at 7:00 AM on March 3rd, 2007:

    “The Oscars respect themselves”(MYA said)…? Well this must be having another meaning rather than the conventional one, in Babel’s forgotten language. But where is my Babel dictionary? You know moey, the Tower of Babel has been an impressive theme in european painting, I recall for example Bruegel: http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/bruegel/babel.jpg
    http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/bruegel/littlebabel.jpg
    When i came to Amman, Royal was under construction and it was always giving me the impression of those paintings.

  9. 9 ola said at 4:57 PM on March 3rd, 2007:

    I bought it on DVD, gonna watch it tonight in sha’a Allah… My cousin told me it’s important to kknow that story/legend of babel tower in order to understand the movie!

    “Walls erected by language and culture may be too powerful to topple”

  10. 10 Abed Hamdan » Movie: Babel said at 3:32 PM on March 6th, 2007:

    [...] Unlike MoeY, I was not fascinated by the plot, and nothing’s so interesting about the series of events. Actually, I found it somewhat boring and too expected! [...]

  11. 11 Abed Hamdan said at 3:33 PM on March 6th, 2007:

    ana sme3et kalamak o 7derto…ma3ajabneesh :(

  12. 12 ali alhasani said at 10:46 PM on March 8th, 2007:

    Who didn’t like the movie either didn’t concentrate enough or doesn’t like drama…I’m so into Action and horror..but god when i saw this movie…it’s just something really amazing…you don’t see a movie like this one..this one is rare in every level you can imagine…the music..the cast..the director..who i adore after this movie and I’m going to follow his work…he desrves all respect..
    when i watched this movie..i watched it on DVD…i swear to god i couldn’t take my eyes of the screen..not one seconed…every scene takes you’re attention…
    for who didn’t watch this movie yet..you lost allot…
    Moey..enta 3ala rasi man..wala btefham..and fe3lan it’s worth 10jd..not 5jd..

  13. 13 Moey said at 10:54 PM on March 8th, 2007:

    wow 3a rasi man..

    the soundtrack is amazing. got it for 21 JDs (original double-CD) totally worth it.

  14. 14 Abed Hamdan said at 12:26 AM on March 9th, 2007:

    dude, it’s not nuclear physics :D

    I got it, but I just didn’t like it…it’s not my type :)

  15. 15 Secret Treaties said at 12:42 AM on March 13th, 2007:

    Interesting gotta give it a shot..

Leave a Reply