Babel

There are some good things about this movie, and it's well shot, but mostly it's just silly. Kate Blanchett shows her much-noted range by writhing and grimacing and being blonde. Brad Pitt demonstrates some wrinkles (which don't really age him that much) and a soft side. There's a Mexican wedding, complete with chicken neck-wringing and gun-firing. We tour the clubs of Tokyo on ecstasy with no panties on. Woo hoo!

Seriously, the Japanese deaf-mute character is pretty well-developed. The rest of it is like a long after-school special cum music video. I don't know how it could be nominated for anything except for cinematography.