My Favorite Movies

This is one of the most creative and thoughtful comedies ever made, but is relatively unknown. David Mamet directs an all star cast, in this satirically true portrayal of the film industry as it collides with a small town. And I do mean collides. The comedy seems effortless as the actors aren't merely playing at being funny, they embody their wacky character counterparts, and those characters will have you crying with laughter. The wit of the dialogue in this comedy (Also written by Mamet) stands out above all and the comic timing is spot on, as anyone with a working knowledge of scriptwriting will tell you is a difficult feat indeed. A must see movie, especially for those who have some experience with the film industry.

Every time I watch this movie I find a new wacky OCD thing that Nicholson does. Definitely a very funny and very touching movie at times. Very honest acting, well written dialouge, and likeable characters once you get to know them. One you can watch again and again.

oh so funny. Crossdressing at its best.

A ghostbuster and a donkey, before they were... Kind of a Modern day Prince and the Pauper, only the switch is not so voluntary.

One of my favoirte movies.

Where has the rum gone? Probably down Johnny Depp (tingle) Great adaptation and solid characters.

Babel is about miscommunication and confusion and differences between cultures, as the title suggests. It is BOTH about the miscommunication between all people AND the miscommunication between different peoples as well. Look how the simple event of a young boy trying to randomly hit a bus with his shotgun got blown out of proportion into a terrorist attack. Or how Mexican children didn't flinch at the sight of a chicken's head being ripped off, and the American children were shocked at its brutality. Things translate differently depending on the cultural interpretation. However, it does not seem that this is the only sorce of miscommunication. Even within language and cultural barriers, it seems that the inability or unwillingness of people to understand or sympathize with others will always exist. People complain of the heat, while a woman lies bleeding to death on the ground. A deaf girl wants someone to listen to her cry for help. Amidst the fear of difference, and the difficulty of understanding, there are moments when all of that melts away, when two people are able to connect, whether they be husband and wife, father and daughter, friends, or complete strangers. Though war, and confusion, and relative chaos because of differences will always exist, these are the moments we keep living for.

Ok so this may be Scorsese's best film to date, but hey, I'm a fan. Way to give some plot points away, Justn. This is a really solid, crafted movie. It is violent, but the movie is called the departed, not the fluffy happy living people, and it is Scorsese. As for the story, yes on paper in may seem like everyone's "in on it" but it is done in such a way that this is not necessarily expected, nor is it random and out of nowhere. This is the way the world of crime is. Some Cops are working for bad men and some bad men are working for cops. Hell Justin, In Batman Begins, almost the entirety of the police force is working for the criminal element, but it is believable in the world of the movie.

The actors, especially DiCaprio and Damon, create a suspense in this movie that rivals any other movie I've seen. Really great performances, the dialogue was real to the world Scorsese created and delivered, -or not delivered- well. (Without saying too much, there are certain non-speaking points in the movie, yet the tension still builds and the action goes on) There were no DiCaprioisms or Nicholsonisms in this movie. Both distinctive actors disappear into their rolls which should be the aim of all actors.

Just another great "mean street" creation by Scorsese complete with dark humor that you maybe shouldn't be laughing at, but just can't help it. Not once did any element take me "out" of the movie, and there are very few movies I can say that about. Completely emersed in the world of Costello's tyranny and crime, one can't help but be sucked into that underworld where you never know who truly are the good guys.