Classic Kermode: Babel

[enigma19833]

ALL FILM CRITICS ARE JUST FAILED FILM MAKERS WHO ARE BITTER AND JEALOUS AT THE ONES WHO WERE ACTUALLY GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE IT AND SO THEY SPEND THEIR TIME JUST ATTACKING THEM FOR DARING TO CREATE A WORK OF ART!

KERMOD IS SCUM!

[Regenmacher175]

@enigma19833 if everyone's a critic, everyone's scum is that it?

[yeoldsid]

@enigma19833 Let's get this cleared-up, shall we!?

A - Critics are NOT failed filmmakers (the vast majority at least).

B - Kermode has spoken about not being able to make films himself (in his autobiography).

C - Babel IS self-important, plodding, unremarkable trash!

and finally...

D - YOU'RE AN IMBECILE.

[mrpossibilities]

Gee, I don't know... I really don't feel like the director was trying to say "You know, in the end we're all part of everything, blablabla". I think Kermode is reading waayy too much into the movie, and actually putting words on the director's mouth (Unless I'm wrong and the director actually said this, which I doubt). I never found it to be condescending nor about sending a message to the audience. I found it to be an experience about how things can easily get fucked up in a matter of seconds.

[attenbergdvd]

Im a big kermode fan, i agree with him about 80% of the time. Babel is an exception as I love it and he hates it. But examples:

a film I love that he loves: Pans Labyrinth

a film that he hates that I hate: Borat...

a film that he loves that I hate: No country for old men

a film that i love that he hates: BABEL!!!!!!!!!

differences of opinion are cool

[cuntscab555]

i quite liked babel. usually agree with kermy

[kingliestatm]

i love babel, but i also love Mark's review of it. One can't agree with him on everything, he loves No Country for old men which I absolutely hate.

[2901Josh]

"Is it me or is this poo?" had me howling.

[KruppaF]

"this is art with a capital F" LOL

[Ballowall]

English PIG DOG! lol

[TheHerman8r]

had to watch this film this week in my Film and TV class at Uni I agree with Mark completely what a load of laborious twaddle !!!

[ciaracustard]

I hated it first. I will only forgive Mark Kermode and Mark Kermode alone for that line.

[majesticmaniac]

If this movie was manipulative, then you dont wanna know what i think of inglourious basterds,,,,how ever the hell it is spelled.

[navylaks2]

If Mark Kermode feels this way then i just wanna say that another film which recived great criticism that i realy did not like was Knocked Up, i thought it was incredibly boring and unfunny

[allonewordy]

Other opinions are available. I quite frequently disagree with Kermode, but he's an entertaining critic. I saw this film twice and liked it both times. Ending brought a tear to the eye. Also, imo all films with interweaving storylines are laboured, it's the nature of coincidences to be unbelievable. I don't think the point of the film is to say "In the end we're all just one big mushy pea" on the contrary, I think it's the exact opposite. Life is very varied, but very subtly interconnected.

[cerenimoon]

We havent got any Movie-reviewer in Turkey.Kermode taught me...

[doyoureallythinkso]

"...non! non! c'est magnifique...you English pig-dog!" lool

[Thisisadummy1]

For legal reasons.

[TenderHistoryInRust]

amores peros an exploitation style film? really?

[jamchew1982]

he loved Crash tho which was INCREDIBLY self-important and manipulative

[TulseLuper]

@jamchew1982 True...well, nobody's perfect.

[SmokiSounds]

@jamchew1982 Crash made a good point.

[Raymint]

@jamchew1982 Nah, wasn't it the other 'Crash' - Cronenberg's?

[xonkonog]

This guy doesn't like anything, does he? Theres always something to complain about.

[TulseLuper]

@xonkonog Yeah, he doesn't like any films at all.......except The Exorcist, It's a Wonderful Life, Brazil, The Assassination of Jesse James, Pan's Labyrinth, There Will Be Blood, A Matter of Life and Death, No Country for Old Men, The Godfather, Let the Right One In, Blue Velvet, Aguirre the Wrath of God, Citizen Kane-- would you like me to go on?

[TheCSMman]

@TulseLuper it would be nice yes. Maybe i'll help. Inception , Toy Story Trilogy , Sherlock Holmes , Of Time & The City , Oil City Confidential , Harry Potter 3 , Chico & Rita and Another Year.

[Jcolinsol]

@TulseLuper

Basically he doesn't like anything... except good movies.

[Hyman74Roth]

@xonkonog Everybody complains, check out the Whattheflick YT channel, they nitpick every film to death, and I'm thinking like what is a perfect film with you guys!

[louiscfc93]

@xonkonog Because most things made these days are shit

[shrunkard]

I agree with Mark, but I'm still glad I saw it for the ecstasy/club sequence. The director should maybe consider making music videos instead of movies.

[TulseLuper]

@shrunkard Did you see the Nike commercial he directed for the World Cup? It was fantastic.

[Murdock13]

Hmm...Mark obviously doesn't know what happens in Japan. The scene in the movie was quite believable, from what I have seen in my near 20 years in Japan.

[jipdeluxe]

He's right, Babel is a lame movie. The three stories don't connect well. It has some good parts but the film is to boring. I loved Amores Perros by the way.

[Wobbothe3rd]

This is art with a capital F

He's become the filmaking equivalent of Michael Jackson

Daaaaaamn lol

[cherzo]

Spot on review. Babel IS shit.

[benwaddelling]

It can be very difficult to differenciate between absolute crap and a work of art I find.

[QuatermassMan]

Aw, come on. I enjoyed this film very much. Yes, he makes a few points, but I thought the film was very dramatic and wonderfully acted.

[gnuochtapir]

I loved the film so I couldn't disagree more with Mr Kermode. Of course he has his opinions but at least he should have said something about the brilliant music in the film.

[luvpump1]

Kermode is just wayyyy too self opinionated, some of the films he likes i thought were shite .

[TulseLuper]

@luvpump1 Of course he's self-opinionated. He's a critic!

[Budapestkick]

@luvpump1

You're right. Anyone who doesn't completely agree with you about everything is a bollocks. I like Kermode because I think he has good insights, not because I agree with every single one of his reviews.

[nightwatchman86]

i liked this film though i agree the connections between the storylines was tenous

[trentkill]

I thought Babel was brilliantly directed and acted. The narrative was great, I'm not saying it was a masterpiece, but it was high and above one of the best films of that year.

[ajarnleo]

rubbish film- but, hey, it's got a japanese girl with no knickers! Not all bad then.

[chamallowbleu]

@ajarnleo vaginas wooo!!!

[Dante1Savage]

i love the end to this video

[RockBottomRiser21]

Unbelievably misguided film.

[LH270677]

I have to agree with him on this one; it's such a self important, indulgent, self-pitying pile of toss.

[k750eye]

Poo lol