I'm so confused

So, I saw Babel. I think I am the very definition of "mixed". I can see strong points, but I don't see them as that strong. There are bits that don't seem like they should work, but they do. And there a bits that feel like they should work, but they don't. I can see many flaws, yet I don't think it's a bad movie. It's just confused. As confused as I am.

Take for instance the four individual storylines. The Tokyo one has no plot at all, yet it was probably favourite. The Brad Pitt/Cate Blanchett doesn't have much more of a plot either. The Mexico storyline probably has the closest the movie comes to a fully fledged plot, but it doesn't feel right. The acting is a mixed bag, too. It's all positive, but people like Brad Pitt don't really have anything to do (Pitt screams for an ambulence a lot but that's it). My favourite was probably Rinko Kikucho, I definitely saw something there with her. But, she was let down by a plot that, as I said, doesn't exist. Adrianna Barraza is impressive too, but yet again, she doesn't have much to do except run around looking crazy in the second half of the film. I would prefer Kikuchi get an Oscar nomination out of the two, but really, I don't think either of the two or Pitt deserve the nominations they seem on the cusp of receiving.

Gustavo Santaolalla's score is good, but the sound design is atrocious. It's incredibly loud and high pitched and terrible to listen to. Rodrigo Prieto's cinematography is nice, but there doesn't seem to be a destinct visual style. There are certain scenes that are incredibly well done (the Tokyo drug scene for instance) and then there's just sort of lazy scenes that... well... aren't (the shootout in the hills).

I have my issues with the movie - i doubt Innaritu actually has a reason for all of this stuff, he just dopes it - yet once it was over I didn't not like it. I can't say that I liked it though. Ugh. I'm confused. I don't know. I'll be happy when Innaritu and Arriaga's next films seperately are released. Hopefully they can ditch the "we're all connected" bull and make a proper film in proper linnear order. C+ or a B-.

This movie reminds me another 2006 release 2.37. That movie had all the positives of a good film and I can't say that I didn't like the movie, but the issues I had with it bugged me and I just couldn't possibly give it a higher grade. Aagh. Anyway...