Accused by some critics of being a heavy-handed exercise in political posturing, “Babel” is instead a full-orbed exploration of human emotion – not only pain, but reconciliation. An emotional workout – but in the best possible way – “Babel” challenges our assumptions about immigration, gun control, and parental involvement in the lives of children.
In a wide-open Best Picture race, this sprawling, moving film is a leading contender. Its main competition is considered, a little more than a week before the awards broadcast, to be “The Departed” and “Little Miss Sunshine.”
BLOOD DIAMOND
A wakeup call for all of us who have purchased diamonds, “Blood Diamond” reveals a dark side to the gem trade in Africa. Set during the civil war in Sierra Leone, the film shows how strongmen used forced labor to find diamonds in the country – where diamond exports were illegal – and then bribed officials across the border in Liberia, who mixed the “blood diamonds” in with the broader supply of diamond exports.
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as a diamond smuggler who has his consciousness raised over the course of the film, as he struggles with his own motives in helping a former slave (Djimon Hounsou) recover a hidden diamond. Jennifer Connelly stars as a journalist working with DiCaprio to expose the illegal smuggling operation.
Beautifully shot by Eduardo Serra, “Blood Diamond” is visually arresting and features fine performances from its principal actors. But the film grows tedious during the long hunt to discover the hidden gem. Every time the film slows down to focus on character interaction, an explosion or gunfire intrudes, reigniting the chase that gives the film an artificial sense of momentum, when a little more thoughtful reflection would have better served the film.
THE DEPARTED
Brooding, bloody and violent, “The Departed” puts director Martin Scorcese back on the turf on which he made his name with “Mean Streets,” “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull” and, later, “Goodfellas.”
The public responded approvingly, making “The Departed” by far the top-grossing film among this year’s Best Picture nominees. The story of two Boston police officers with competing agendas, each trying to root out the other, was powered by Leonardo DiCaprio’s most mature performance to date (ironically, he was nominated for lesser, but still noteworthy work, in “Blood Diamond”), matched by Matt Damon, in one of his best performances. But the film’s strength comes as much from its supporting cast – Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, and the Oscar-nominated Mark Wahlberg.
