Are they really coming out with better movies lately or are my standards just slipping? Babel drew me in completely, not letting go until the final scene. It did an excellent job of not letting me feel lost, and at the same time kept me wondering how events were related and sitting on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next. Like several of the movies I have loved recently, Babel portrays realistic human experience without a standard Hollywood plot line. Another one of the best movies of the year and we are only at the end of January.

This is 2 hours and 23 minutes of some of the most intense cinema I've ever seen. It's multiple stories vaguely intertwined, but drawn together with their intensity. It's a loop of failed communication and tragedy. Nothing about satisfying, but it's easily worth the time.