Babel
Grade: B

What do a freak shooting in Morocco, U.S.-Mexico border woes and a deaf Japanese nymphomaniac have in common? Director Alejandro González Iñárritu (Amores Perros, 21 Grams) does his damdest to connect the dots, and he’s talented enough to make some of the preposterous plot twists stick. But the tone of each story grows increasingly hysterical, resulting in some unintentionally campy moments. The powerhouse ensemble cast includes Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt and Gael García Bernal.