couple two, three movie questions

we started watching babel the other night. it's a long movie (2 1/2+ hours i think) and we watched about 45 minutes of it. it is amazingly well acted, it is beautifully shot and has an incredible story so far. but it is kinda depressing. in fact, i'm almost thinking about not finishing it, despite its nomination for best picture. do any of my 6 readers have anything to add to make me want to keep watching?

also, we watched the previews on the dvd for babel, including one for black snake moan. i'm sorry, but WTF? i like samuel jackson and i like cristina ricci, but i don't think i will be seeing that one. it looks a little too strange.