278 | COLD HARD MATH | - I agree CHM, I was glad that it won best picture as well. BTW: Are you watching the game?

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15224680/

‘Babel’ is a fascinating, intricate puzzle
Inarritu succeeds in creating a compelling, unnerving sense of dislocation
REVIEW
By John Hartl
Film critic
MSNBC
Updated: 8:55 p.m. PT Oct 25, 2006
Never one to tell a straightforward story straightforwardly, the Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (“21 Grams,” “Amores Perros”) thrives on complications and fractured narratives. His third feature, “Babel,” offers plenty more of the same.
Working once again with screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (who also wrote “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada”), Inarritu has constructed an intricate puzzle movie that takes some wild leaps off the diving board and mostly justifies the gamble. If the experiment goes on too long (143 minutes), and if one of the stories is less than compelling, “Babel” still has many glorious touches.
Chief among them is the way two stories intersect in Morocco. A pair of American tourists (Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett) are quarreling about why they’ve chosen to visit the country and leave their children to their Hispanic housekeeper. Unknown to them, she’s taken the kids from San Diego to Mexico to celebrate her son’s wedding.
Meanwhile, two young Moroccan goatherders are trying out their new gun in a sparsely populated desert area. One takes aim at the Americans’ tourist bus, not meaning to do much more than establish the gun’s range, but the bullet shatters a window and hits Blanchett, and in no time the incident has set off a terrorist alert.
Meanwhile, back in Tokyo (yes, that’s quite a leap, and it’s not one of the more welcome ones), a deaf-mute teenager (Rinko Kikuchi) is dealing with her mother’s suicide and her father’s apparent estrangement from her. She acts out her trauma by stripping for strangers and teasing a boy who seems to reject her.
As it turns out, there is a direct connection between the folks in Japan and the ones in Morocco, but too many coincidences create a strain on the storyline. Also too much is the housekeeper’s desperate border crossing. How much trouble can one family attract in one weekend? This one seems downright disaster-prone.
Nevertheless, Inarritu does succeed in creating a compelling and unnerving sense of dislocation, by presenting several points of view, and several perceptions of the consequences, almost simultaneously. Essential to this effect are the contributions of composer Gustavo Santaolalla and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (reunited after their work on “Brokeback Mountain”).
The privileged tourists see one kind of crisis; the Moroccans see quite another. The tourist may lose his wife and children; the goatherd family and the housekeeper may lose everything. Class, race, religion and income make all the difference in how their worlds, separate yet the same, are perceived. Acting on their own interpretation of the situation, officials immediately interpret the accident as part of a conspiracy.
“When Worlds Collide” might have been a more appropriate title for “Babel,” which is especially effective in blending well-known actors with unknowns. Pitt and Blanchette, both deglamourized, are never really the stars.
Neither is Gael Garcia Bernal, who has a key role as the housekeeper’s impatient nephew in the Mexican sequence, or Kikuchi, a 24-year-old actress who successfully impersonates a character who’s nearly a decade younger. They’re all supporting players in a story that’s much bigger and more complicated than any of them

ben #281

“to put africa on the map” –i think you tried to read into it too much.
i think the most important thing is to look at her intent. she means well and she is sincere. so with that, i respect her tremendously.

#284 Correction Too instead of tool, and certainly instead of certaainly… sorry Jared, my font is small.
Sher

I don’t hate. It takes too much energy and it would only effect me. You obviously did not get my point, and I don’t care to explain it to you. No need for your thanks and I’m not your buddy.

BCBG - If you think she’s sincere, then she’s well derserving of your respect.

I don’t understand what you mean by “cheapens and dumb down the issue”, but to me, AJ has shown a good understanding of some of the problems she is dealing with in her charity causes. One of them being the problems with refugees in the world. (I have read as many as I could of her interviews or writings about the matter). She understands that emigration is not the solution, because not many countries are open to them. The only solution would be to teach them a skill, stablize the region they came from, and try to repatriate them.
Another proof of how she really graps the issues, is the way she uses adoptions. To her, adoption is not just to help one kid. The goal is to raise that kid well, so one day he/she will be able to go back to his/her native country to help the people there. Indie said it really well in her post above.
So I think to dismiss her as cheap and dumb, is showing a narrow mind. I think AJ is very intelligent, but when she goes on tv, she just doesn’t want people to think she is talking over their head. Oprah is very smart and business savvy. She also knows how to address her audience, but to say she knows more of the world problems, I disagree.

290 | ntt | ben’s soooooo intellegent so whatever it says has profound meaning….

# 281 Ben

I read all your post and they are very intelligent. You are as well very respectful of the opinions of others. I do agree as well with AG(?) about how she turned away with Oprah, clearly the visit to Africa became a self-serving mission. Many celebrities are susceptible to that deliberate or otherwise. But i do have to disagree with your comment on AJ, while I’m a fan of her, my refute has nothing to do with it, to say she cheapens and dumbs the issue is trivializing. I believe she has done many wonderful things for the refugees, understanding their flight. In fact, if I’m not mistaken (in UN site) she mentioned about these people that however life is hard for them are very smart and knew how to take care of themselves and that’s what inspires her. Her message is clear, if these refugees can get back to their lands, if appropriate attention and help is given, they can rebuild their lives. I sometimes wonder how they can call all of these PR stunts for her. Many may have lost it along the way, but in my opinion, the media attention goes hand in hand with her being a celebrity and more popular ever since she and BP became a family. You cannot stop media to stop intruding, it’s like fighting against the wave of the ocean, but you can control it. However, some people perceived it otherwise, but it’s okay because that’s their opinion of her and BP. What is just sad is there are people trying just too hard at times to dismiss their many efforts to help. Now, that is trivializing. I like best what Brad said, the celebrities ability to help will all come down to credibility and consistency. I have yet to hear that AJ/BP have back away from their commitment to help, the forming of their foundation cemented that commitment to help in a long-term basis. By the way, she never said she put africa in the map. How amusing it is as well, that many celebrities can’t stay away mentioning their name or have an opinion of them just to get talk about. Now that is self-serving at the expense of the others and a real shame.

Personally, I agree with Ben. Oprah has more credibility in this area than Angelina does. And, for the record, Oprah has been in Africa, amongst the poor.

I don’t think Ben is saying that what AJ is doing is bad, I think he’s saying that more people would choose to accept what Oprah says/does than AJ.

Look at these latest talks with the UN. Angelina points a finger at the western world and makes statements that she really doesn’t know what she is talking about. Oprah, brings the attention to the problem, but does not point accusatory fingers.

Ben,

I just think it’s kind of starnge to accuse Jolie of cheapening and dumbing down, when she’s doing the same as Oprah or even Bono for that matter. A lot of the issues going on in Africa are really complex and it behooves anyone who becomes interested in the plight to investigate what’s going on and how they personally can help. The celebrities do no more, IMHO, than shine a light on the issue. I feel that’s all Angelina is doing and I’m happy about that.
When she and Pitt decided to create their family they did it based on their own values. I don’t see them out there forcing anyone else to adopt in the same manner, or saying they are better people because the have adopted in such a way. Other people say this, but I haven’t heard them do so, nor do I feel they are implying it. We come here an see pictures taken of them by paparrazi and make comment, but if I chose not to exist in this virtual world, well then, I wouldn’t know much about them. Therefore, if you’re here, it’s by choice, and if it’s a choice then you are forcing their agenda onto yourself and not vice versa.
I’m at the point where I really don’t know what is doing good to some people. Anytime some one makes an attempt it’s criticized. You were just giving your opinion Ben and you have that right, so please don’t feel like I”m attacking you, it’s just that after reading your comments, I’m kind of interested in knowing, what is doing good. Nothing’s perfect, there are definitely flaws within the actions of Jolie/Pitt but what should we do? I think everyone here really like Jolie/Pitt because they at least try and that feels good. I want to learn how to try harder myself.

Shane, Syd and Lula29, GREAT POSTS.

Sam:

Yes, Angelina did have questionable behavior in the past. But she has CHANGED for the better. You have to her credit. I do not believe she grew up wealthier than many of us. Remember her father left the family when Angie was probably 1 or 2. She was mostly raised by her mother. She said when she was in hight school, she bought 2nd hand clothes and was ridiculed by her school mates. . She is gaining creditbility. I remember she was photographed with C Rice and Clinton. Even Powell spode well of her. I also read she could get things done in Congress. She and Bono are the 2 that are well respected in Capitol Hill. Time called it the JONO efeect.

At work, many of my colleagues have respect for Angelina. These are the people who are professional. It’s those pro-Aniston people who thought otherwise.

As for Oprah, I’ve heard of good things about her. But if I have to vote. I will definitely give my vote to Jolie.