The very first Mexican Cinema film and Gael Garcia Bernal film I ever saw was Amores Perros. It was a very strong film and took the story of 3 seemingly unrelated stories and shows how they literally all crash into one another. This was a strong complete moving movie. There were no loose ends. Everything tied up and together nicely. And it wasn't confusing. To me this film was the original Crash.
Then came Crash. This movie almost took Amores to the next level. Almost. The basic concept is the same, how each seemingly unrelated life touched all the others. Crash is stronger emotionally. And that is one of the strengths it plays off of. But because it trys to show how so many different lives touch you miss out on some of the back story and relate ability of the characters. But like Amores it was still a complete movie. Almost no lose ends. You really don't walk away wondering what happens now? You can kinda see the after picture with out being told. I think the movie reached far trying to tie 8 individual stories together and I think they made it. Very worthy of the Oscar it won.
I have been waiting for a life time to see Babel. I mean a Crash type movie with Brad Pitt AND Gael Garcia Bernal count me in!!! Only I was disappointed. It was only tying 4 stories together and it failed. I walked out Saturday night with too many un-answered questions. Questions that should have been answered or answered better. It also seemed to jump from one story to another with very little thought. Yes the movie made me cry, but I am a mother and a woman, it's not that hard to find the things that will kill me inside and make me cry. But it wasn't enough. The movie is claiming "Brad Pitts' Best Film Performance" and eh. Strongest yes. He was very good but I think there is better still to be had in his film career. And for the very first time in my life I walked away from a movie HATING Gael. I didn't think it was possible. The movie was left so incomplete that apparently my subconscious had to finish the movie in my dreams that night. I say see the movie, but know that there are better similar films, that don't leave so much undone.Labels: Amores Perros, Babel, Crash, Movies, reviews |
