babel - directed by alejandro gonzález iñárritu

much like he did in his previous film 21 grams, gonzález iñárritu demonstrates in his latest film "babel" that the way a story is told, is every bit as important as the story itself. the mexican director employs the use of a non-linear narrative to tell a complex story with a global scope, all the meanwhile, never loosing sight of the subtle arcs in the seemingly disperate lives of the characters. there is a challenge to the audience of "babel" to engage with the plot, because of the story's indifference to space and time. there is no implicit chronology of events, and the geography, in a story that takes place in mexico, tokyo, morocco, and san diego, is disarticulate.
not to be lost in the conversation regarding the deft storytelling, is the story itself. "babel" is an unnerving exploration of how events that occur on the other side of the planet, can have an immediate impact on our own lives. without being overly didactic or proselytizing, the film challenges the bifurcation of two of our culture's most heated issues: foreign policy, and the raising of our children.