Babel: why so much fuss?

I basically hated Babel, from the begining till the end. See the first two comments on this page for reviewers who will explain why they hated the movie and spoil it better than me.

I was moved by the last scene of the Japanese story. But I'm no judge and many Japanese deaf disapproved because their concerns were ignored (they even objected to the actress being nominated for an Academy Award).

Apart from that.

Exhibitions:

• Orangerie: reconstitution of the 1934 exhibition "French Realists of the 17th Century". Very meticulous reconstitution work, and some great pieces were exhibited but there was too much distraction (emphasis on the curator, the reconstitution work, the recent renovation of the museum, some modern paintings to be compared to the 17th century ones, etc.) to really appreciate them.
  

Film:

• Fried Green Tomatoes. Beautiful like a Mozart symphony.
  

Theater:

• The Naked Truth (David Lodge). Good but not great.