“Babel’ is a fascinating, intricate puzzle

“Never one to tell a straightforward story straightforwardly, the Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (“21 Grams,” “Amores Perros”) thrives on complications and fractured narratives. His third feature, “Babel,” offers plenty more of the same.

Working once again with screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (who also wrote “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada”), Inarritu has constructed an intricate puzzle movie that takes some wild leaps off the diving board and mostly justifies the gamble. If the experiment goes on too long (143 minutes), and if one of the stories is less than compelling, “Babel” still has many glorious touches.”

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