Babel, Bad food, Belak

Saw Babel on Friday night. At first the thought of a 2 hr + movie after a long work week was not so appealing. We were up for the flashier Casino Royale but twas not to be had on opening weekend. Antonio caved.
If you want to be heard, listen. Babel weaves the lives of the desperate in Tokyo, the Moroccan desert, and the Mexicali border as one incident richochets throught the lives of many. An American couple plan a Moroccan escape to save their flailing marriage. Their Mexican nanny cannot find a substitute to babysit the blonde scions in order to attend her son's wedding so they accompany her across the Tecate border led by her hot-headed nephew. A deaf mute is living with the affects of teen angst and trauma after her mother's suicide. A Bedouin goat shepherd scrapes by with his wife and three children in the Moroccan desert.

There is talk that director Alejandro González Iñárritu and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (collaborators on Amores Perros and 21 Grams, Babel is the third in their 'Death Trilogy') will never work together again after a serious knocking of heads over the auteurship of their previous films. The director is claiming sole credit as the creator of the films, dismissing his screenwriter's contribution to the pictures. In the fallout Iñárritu banned Arriaga from attending the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. Ouch!

HAD HORRENDOUS FOOD AND SERVICE AT SPRINGROLL on Front St. Our server hid from us as we paid our bill and vowed never again. Goes down on my list with the Red Tomato and East Side Mario's. Avoid this cripe and dog food at all costs!

On Saturday we watched rinkside as the Leafs were pummelled by the Devils due in whole to the magic of Martin Brodeur. Antonio was amazed at the fan reaction as Leaf tough guy Wayne Belak took plenty out of Devil Cam Janssen. Even my soft spot for Mike Peca could not rile what was a night of essentially boring hockey.