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Alejandro González Iñárritu
may very well be the most innovative writer/director making films
these days. He now follows up the unique and dazzling "Amores
Perros" with the powerful and compelling "21
Grams". And like "Amores Perros", the story
is not told in a linear fashion. Instead, the story moves
from present, back to past, and forward to future in such a
fascinating way that you don't want to turn your heads or close
your eyes for a second in order that you do not miss anything.
The story centers on three main characters and how events in their
lives bring them together. Paul (Sean Penn) is a dying man
who needs a heart transplant to stay alive. Cristina (Naomi
Watts) is a wife and mother who has succumbed to becoming a drug
addict due to events making her life spinning away. Jack (Benicio
Del Toro) is an ex-convict who is now a born again Christian.
This is a film that I don't want to tell much of the plotline
because telling too much of the story will just give too much
crucial information away. Suffice to say, that thru one
tragic event, the lives of these three people will intersect with devastating
results.
Before I rave about the film's narrative structure, I want to talk
about the acting. What can I say... this film has the most
powerful acting performances than any film this year with the
possible exception of Mystic River. And like in Mystic
River, Sean Penn gives us another powerful and heartfelt
performance. Who would have guessed that Penn would have
blessed us with two great roles in the same year. Benicio Del Toro
is simply amazing in this film as well. His expressions and
movements are mesmerizing and he is so haunting as this born again
Christian who still seems to have some of his anger and problems
inside him. In a year of so many great male acting
performances, these are certainly two of the best. Finally,
Naomi Watts is simply amazing in playing this happy wife and
mother whose life becomes hell. And in a year of so many
great female acting performances, this may well be the most
compelling and powerful of all of them. Her winning the best
actress award at the next Oscar show should surprise nobody who
has seen this film.
I'm not sure if there has ever been quite a director like Iñárritu.
He has structured a second film which seamlessly moves back and
forth between time, stories, and characters but not for a second
do you lose sight of the story. In 21 Grams, we see bits and
pieces of what is to come and what has already passed. But we
don't know for certain all the facts and details and we aren't
quite sure exactly where all the connections come into play.
But by the end of the film, everything is made quite certain.
This film is one that for sure has to be seen several times in
order to fully appreciate and understand all the dazzling story
jumps. But I can say that on second viewing of this film,
it's just as powerful and engaging as the first time I saw it.
This is a haunting film that won't leave your thoughts after you
leave the theatre. It is one of the most tragic films that I have
seen in a long time, so much because the characters that are
involved are sympathetic ones that the audience cares about.
It is a most complex film that demands the viewer's constant
attention. The film visually is shot in a grainy style with
very muted colors. Sometimes I don't like this effect but in
21 Grams, this seems to add that much more to the dark and
disturbing story. All of this and including the moody music
appear to be just right for the director's style and intent.
Thus, this is a film that I highly recommend. It is a story
that is very tragic but with some redemption at the end. But
you have to pay attention and just savor the narrative structure.
Get enough popcorn before the movie starts so that you don't have
to leave your seat and miss any of this film.
--
Mike
( 4 out of 4 pops )
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