Lame. That was the first descriptor that came to mind when I finished this DVD. I'm a fan of non-linear flicks, and the quality here was great. Editing was good, cinematography great, director showed patience letting the pieces of the puzzle fall in place...
BUT... I thought Babel was lame. It doesn't have a worthwhile story to tell. Sure, the individual stories have some interesting features, but in the end, what was their purpose? Was it to create 4 short stories/messages for the viewer and tie them together for the sake of creativity?
My least favorite portion, the Japanese girl, actually had the most potential, but it fell flat in the end. So the girl is helpless. Now what? The final shot doesn't give her story any closure. It's just another embrace. Or is it? And who cares since we can never quite tell if the character is sincere.
The comparisons to Crash will continue for eternity, and they should. Crash is what this movie wants to be. Although I'm not a humanist by any stretch, that was one hell of an effective story.
Bottom line: I should have stopped this DVD half-way through when I took a potty break.