'Babel' Rising

In reply to Pierre de Plume, the Citizens of Babel started making a tower that would be so huge that it would lead directly to heaven. God didn't like that they were all working together to do something like this so he confused them all by giving them different languages so they could no longer communicate. If they weren't able to communicate, they could no longer work together. Thus the name of the movie. It shows how communications can break down and cause a lot of chaos.

I know I'm split when it comes to who will or even should win the Best Picture race. Both Babel and The Departed were great films. Babel had a message, but The Departed was a edge of your seat thriller. I think if either wins, it will be a good thing.

BABEL IS BY FAR THE BEST PICTURE NOMINATED. I THINK THAT THE EDITING GUILD TIE WITH THE DEPARTED SHOULD MAKE A VERY INTERESTING SHOW. HOPEFULLY, FOR THE LAST AWARD OF THE NIGHT THEY WILL ANNOUNCE
BABEL BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR

To me, BABEL is the one film I've seen out of the five that has stayed with me, made me think, made me feel and that I genuinely admire for its sheer breadth and scope. Inarritu's vision is passionate. I LOVE THIS MOVIE and can only pray it wins best picture.

One question posed here was, "What was Babel's message?" The best answer to that would take a lot of space. To begin, one could look at the Biblical tale of the tower of Babel. I'm no expert on the Bible, but as I remember it, a prosperous city built a tower as sort of a symbol of its wealth and material achievement and then all hell broke loose when God got angry. Troubles regarding communication developed because humanity began speaking different languages. (I'm not suggesting the movie contains an explicitly religious message.)

I'm only one person -- everyone can have a different interpretation of this film because I believe the film is intended to ask questions and not necessarily furnish the answers -- I think the film's vagueness is intentional. I don't think the the filmmakers want us to be crystal clear on plot details.

Babel is a nonlinear movie. It doesn't go from point A to point B. It's about miscommunication and how people don't and can't listen to each other. It's about how one person's (or nation's) perception of reality can be so different from another's. It's about trying to listen -- really listen -- to experience that other's reality so we can get back on a shared page long enough to stop hurting the other. It's about realizing that what's real about ourselves sometimes isn't as relevant as is what the other guy perceives to be real. It's about learning not to prejudge people and things and not jumping to conclusions on the basis of appearances or one's own baggage from the past. It's about trying to recognize the temptation within ourselves to limit our perspective because it is seemingly safer to do so. It's about acknowledging the validity of a different perspective, another language. It's about how we're interconnected and how each one of us is part of a critical mass, that what one person does -- even an insignificant act -- can and does affect someone and, ultimately, everyone. It's about learning how to show ourselves to others, how to love.

How's that for starters? Just one person's interpretation.

here you go again Tom... sour graping and pulling dow LMS which you think robbed Dreamgirls of its best pic nomination slot. I hope LMS wins so you could quit your self-annointed job as oscar prognosticator!

Doesn't the Academy hates to give similar films the award? Isn't that the general consensus why Ordinary People had the edge on Raging Bull (cause Rocky just won a couple years before). Just look at the last four years: Chicago, Return of the King, Million Dollar Baby, and Crash. You have a musical, a fantasy film, a boxing movie, and an ensemble movie. I just don't see Babel winning. It would be like the least grossing movie ever. On Oscar night if The Departed loses screenplay, it won't win. If The Departed wins screenplay then it'll go head to head with whatever wins the other screenplay UNLESS marky mark wins, then it has it locked. If Little Miss Sunshine loses screenplay, it won't win picture; on that same note, if it wins either acting category expect it to win. If Babel wins screenplay it could win picture. If The Queen wins screenplay and score don't be surprised if it wins picture, if it wins costume it'll be a bigger shock if it looses.

Yes, this prognosticator believes it's possible for "Babel" to take the big one. In a year that in which commonly held expectations in this category already have been skewed (the absence of "Dreamgirls," notably), a "Babel" victory could represent not only an odd sort of upset but also a voting pattern that is more traditionally in pace with the overall, historical voting pattern of the Academy (if one can actually characterize that).

First, "Babel" is the film in this category with the most nominations. This indicates broad Academy support (though the depth of this support remains unclear).

Next, although the film may not have won a greater share of awards leading up to the Oscars, its Golden Globe win carries the weight of significant precursor status.

The scope and themes of "Babel" give it an awards-worthy pedigree, and the issues it addresses have relevance to and resonance with this moment in time. The presence of star power (Pitt and Blanchett) paves the way toward its acceptance by the public as a film prestigious enough to win Hollywood's top award -- even though it may not be loved as much as apple pie. (How many people "simply adored" previous winners like "Gladiator," "The English Patient" or "Out of Africa"?)

Many prognosticators are focusing on the prospects of "The Departed" and "Little Miss Sunshine." Using statistical precurors as justification, experts provide sound rationale for a win by either of these films. Unfortunately for boosters of Scorsese's excellent film, however, many are discounting the fact that his films never seem to win and sometimes have been the target of backlash ("Gangs of New York," for example). Too often, the work of Mr. Scorses is regarded as technical virtuosity but lacking in the emotional accessibility ("heart") that can snare the broadest share of votes. On the other side of this coin, "Sunshine," is an admirable and frequently adored "little engine that could" that even caught the eye of the Producers, Writers and Screen Actors guilds -- a powerful combination. Ultimately, however, it may be destined to be regarded by the Academy as the film that plays more to film aficiondos than to the masses; these films typically garner a bone or two but not the top prize (eg, "Sideways," "Traffic," "Gosford Park," "Pulp Fiction," or anything by Merchant/Ivory).

Further difficulties arise as one considers the seemingly bleak prospects of "Letters From Iwo Jima." For many reasons, this film's chances have been clouded by a number of factors, not least of which is its record of not having been pitted against the nominees in very many competitions leading up to Oscar. (The film has even had to compete for attention with its fraternal twin, "Flags of Our Fathers.") A late release and ineligibility for a BAFTA due to technicalities in submission deadlines, for example, have deceived many into discounting the film's chances. Nevertheless, "Letters" has garnered some top awards, Clint Eastwood has been receiving formal acclaim for his achievements with this film (and with "Flags," as well), its reviews have been very good, and the public is beginning to receive it well despite its handicap of foreign-language dialogue and subtitles. Significantly, "Letters" did win a Golden Globe for best picture (albeit foreign-language), thereby qualifying for major status in a precursor kind of way. One cannot discount the fact that it beat a formidable contender (multiple nominee "Pan's Labyrinth") to win its Golden Globe.

So, in a year when the state of the best picture category is unclear and an upset may appear imminent, one can reasonably turn to the prospect that, though some form of upset may occur, it may not be as much of an upset as we may anticipate. "Babel" certainly could fill the bill as an upset of sorts. Notably, though, it seems poised to qualify as a more traditional choice that reflects historic Academy tastes: a serious film of scope, relevance, production values, critical appeal, and a track record that could solidly support the notion that "Babel" is the year's best in Oscar's terms.

I haven't seen "Letters," but IMHO "Babel" SHOULD win, as it did best drama at GG.

BABEL may not have won any Guild awards, but you should note that it has the MOST guild nominations out of any of the BP contendors. This indicates a widespread admiration across many different categories/crafts that other BP nominated films may not have. Babel is also the BP nominated film with the MOST Oscar nominations which also supports this theory.