Fridae

There may have never been a film quite like this. Moving and powerful, Babel is a movie for our times. It spans the globe in its depiction of four different families speaking in five languages, living in four different countries on three separate continents. All these families are connected to one single tragic incident, showing us how interconnected our lives have become in the 21st century.

The story begins in the rocky mountains of Morocco, where a goatherd has just bought a second-hand rifle to shoot at the jackals that prey on his herds. When he is gone, his careless young boys test out the gun to see how well they can shoot. But one bullet accidentally hits one half of an American couple (Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt) traveling on a bus packed with tourist. When the American Embassy learns of the incident, it immediately assumes this is the work of terrorists.

In the couple's home in California, the couple's delayed return means that their Mexican nanny (Adriana Barraza) may have to skip her own son's upcoming wedding in Tijuana to look after the couple's kids. The woman figures that nothing bad could happen if she were to take the kids to Mexico for the wedding. It turns out that she's dead wrong.

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, a lonely deaf-mute girl (Rinko Kukichi) desperately seeks attention by flashing her private parts to passing schoolboys, a dentist and a policeman. The connection between her and the other characters in the film only becomes clear in the movie's conclusion.

With solid performances, dazzling camerawork and an amazing script, Babel deservedly nabbed the award for Best Drama at last week's Golden Globes � adding to the long list of prizes it has already gotten at other festivals and award ceremonies. Watch this and be awed by it grand scope and ambition.