OSCAR FOR BABEL

Mirabile dictu! I read in the Chronicle, the same paper wherein Mick LaSalle savaged it, that Alejandro Inniaritu’s BABEL is considered a potential Academy Award winner. Academy Award? Last year CRASH and this year BABEL? I haven’t watched the Academy Awards, except for an occasional illicit peek, for 35 years. Now, two good films in a row?

If this is not a cruel joke, I’m going to laugh anyway. I suppose minus Brad Pitt, an Oscar for BABEL would be impossible to contemplate. But as far as the film goes, he’s the least of it. His character is solid but a foil for the unknowns, players who generate the real interest. I couldn’t erase Koji Yakusho, the sex- driven deaf girl, from my mind even if I wanted to. And Adriana Barraza, the Mexican nanny was unforgettable… making a bad decision for a good reason with near-tragic consequences. The two “bubble dwelling” American children aren’t bad either and then there are the players from Morocco, riveting because Inniaritu has allowed them the freedom to be themselves. In this he recognizes and skillfully exploits the biggest secret emerging from the digital revolution. If a director can instill trust, relaxation and concentration and inspire strong feelings and commitment to expressivity, he can find the highest level of performance in people with no “acting” experience. ATANARJUAT: THE FAST RUNNER is one of many films which routinely prove this rebuke to acting schools and the star system.

Could it be possible that people are really getting sick of Hollywood and its inferior products? Could it be possible that real filmmakers as are found in places like Mexico, Iran, Taiwan and China might find a substantial audience in America? Is it possible that American filmmakers might learn to become culturally literate, put the work first and resist compromise? I look and wonder… solid progress or just a run of poker luck?