By Collin Kornfeind

The Tower of Babel is described in the Bible’s book of Genesis as the tower built by a group of humans who wanted to reach Heaven. But since the hearts of these men were evil, fame-seeking and disobedient to God, He confused their languages so the builders of the tower could not understand each other. Work on the tower was stopped due to their confusion and the builders spread themselves about the world. Babel, referring to this religious story, is a film about culture, humanity and the emotional complexities that define, divide and unite all peoples.

The film comes from one of the 21st century’s most dynamic and lauded director/writer duos, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Guillermo Arriaga, whose previous collaborations include 21 Grams and Amores Perros.

It is hard to say who “stars” in Babel because the movie itself, like Iñárritu’s previous films, is comprised of separate storylines held together by a loose narrative fabric and given equal screen time.

Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, two of the most recognizable actors to audiences, play wealthy American couple Richard and Susan Jones who go on a trip to “be alone” somewhere around Morocco when they are unexpectedly caught up in an dangerous political episode.

Thick-headed rebel Santiago (played by Gael García Bernal- who made his international debut with Amores Perros back in 2001) and migrant nanny Amelia (played with gut-wrenching poignancy by Adriana Barraza) are a Mexican aunt-nephew couple that head home to Mexico from San Diego for Amelia’s son’s wedding.

Kôji Yakusho plays Yasujiro who is the father of Chieko, a (very) sexually-frustrated, motherless, teenage deaf-mute living in vivacious Tokyo (played by Rinko Kikuchi who gives an inspired and daring performance that will make you wonder how Basic Instinct made Sharon Stone famous). There is a heart-pounding sequence in a dance club that will probably never leave your memory after witnessing it.

Finally, two young North African Muslim brothers (played by first-timers Said Tarchani and Boubker Ait El Caid) try to hide a terrible mistake from their father (played with painful scorn by Driss Roukhe).

To actually talk about where these seemingly random stories interlace would be to destroy the experience of seeing the film. So then why write a review of it at all? With amazing and gut-wrenching performances that depict such deep levels of the emotional spectrum, it can only be urged that you to see it for yourself. Be aware that it’s not for the everyday cynic or xenophobic.

A thick 142 minutes, Babel will frustrate, amuse, sadden, confuse and uplift without a single dull moment while giving a greater understanding for the world and the problems we all face. Any film that accomplishes all this transcends the babble of critical translation.

GRADE: A-