Babel

Massive in scope, Babel tackles the subjects of international diplomacy, war and trade, while at its core are the parent-child relationships of just a few families. Stylistically it plays like "Now That's What I Call World Cinema", as director Iñárritu and writer Guillermo Arriaga clearly had in mind certain films they wanted to evoke in each setting; Dogma No.4 The King Is Alive for Pitt and Blanchett's Moroccan story, the last part of the Taiwanese triptych Three Times for the Japanese strand, and with elements of Arriaga's own Three Burials arriving at the Mexican border. This cross-genre cross-country trek is about far more than just nerdy trendspotting though, as its looks, locations and characters all act as one comprehensive statement on an adult world gone astray from its core principle - keeping our kids safe. With Brangelina and Madonna loose on the world, that message has never been more necessary. [Alec McLeod]