A Tale of Two Movies

My quest to catch all the Best Picture nominees took a quantum leap forward this weekend when I caught both The Departed and Babel. Both films provoked strong reactions from me, one in a positive manner and the other negative. Thought I’d share these thoughts today, keeping in mind that these are thoughts on the movies themselves and not their place in the Oscar race.

The Departed
I think one of the best feelings we can experience in this world is being surprised by something’s quality despite the fact you already had high expectations. Such was my experience with The Departed. Martin Scorsese has crafted a film that will stand the test of time as one of the finest of his career and that’s saying a whole lot. I think this might be the best editing work I’ve seen in one of his films. There are so many intense conversations and he cuts back and forth on all the right moments. When the only complaint I have about a movie is Jack Nicholson’s here today, gone tomorrow accent, you know you’ve done well. Plus, since its Jack I’m willing to let him get away with it. It should go without saying, but all the performances are of a high quality. Not that he cares, but I want to apologize for disputing Marky Mark’s Oscar nomination on this blog last week. He gives a performance that not only provides comic relief but also provides the moral backbone of the pic. At 150 minutes in length you’d think you’d get tired of the cat and mouse game all the characters are caught in but if anything I wanted more. It reminded me of the great 80’s thriller No Way Out where Kevin Costner was a double agent in US intelligence. However in that film it begins to drag and you are ready for the conclusion and can almost predict where it will end up. The Departed always keeps you in the moment, never allowing you to look ahead. Unfortunately, that cannot be said for the second film I saw this weekend.

Babel
I’ve been on a roller coaster ride with Babel. When I first heard about it I was excited, after all this was from the same creative team that brought us the amazing 21 Grams and it had Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Then the reviews started to come in and I lost interest. “Too many storylines with flimsy connections,” was the cry that stuck out to me the most. After sitting through Crash last year and having that film deteriorate in mind over time I wasn’t sure if I wanted another experience like that. Then once the nominations came out I cleared out my mind and focused again on how much I loved 21 Grams. By the time I hit the theater on Sunday, I was excited again…then the lights dimmed and it all went so horribly wrong. Babel is not a terrible movie, but it certainly is not good. Where The Departed is a character focused thriller that keeps you planted in the moment, Babel looses it’s path and becomes a film focused on events and what ifs. I have nothing against depressing movies, as a general rule I tend to enjoy them, but Babel is so soul crushingly depressing that you need to pop some uppers once you leave the theater. Perhaps it is telling that in a film that features multiple storylines the best storyline is the least connected. The story of the deaf mute girl in Tokyo features the film’s strongest performance but fails to connect strongly with the larger picture. Also, even though I enjoyed that the story the most I was still caught up in what could happen while I watched it as opposed to what is happening. Strong acting and seamless technical work certainly help the movie seem better then it is but I can not recommend it whatsoever.