With Babel Alejandro González Iñárritu has established himself in my eyes as one of the most innovative filmmakers of our times. For Iñárritu and his longtime writing partner, Guillermo Arriaga, life is not a cakewalk. The basic sensibility running through Love is a Bitch, 21 Gramms and now Babel is deep pessimism: at any moment life can turn into a horrible tragedy. Babel tries to flesh out that heartbreak is not the special fate of one country or a people but rather the universal human condition. People are struck by tragedy independent of whether they live in the U.S., Morocco, Japan or Mexico, for example. Iñárritu keeps you on the edge of your seat because you don’t know how much tragedy will unfold before your eyes. The camera travels back and forth between these four countries and Iñárritu surprises you more than once showing you perspectives on everyday life that you have not seen before. The film is heavy, but it is a rewarding experience not to be missed.