Based on a strikingly similar premise to Iñárritu's first film "Amores Perros", 21 Grams follows three characters whose lives are bound together by a fatal car crash in which a man and his two young daughters are killed. The three characters the film focuses on are the wife and mother of those killed (Naomi Watts), the ex-convict and born-again Christian who caused the accident (Benicio del Toro) and the man whose life was saved when he received a transplant of the heart of the man who was killed (Sean Penn). The first of this film's main virtues are precisely these actors, all of whom are amongst the most gifted and brilliant actors currently working in Hollywood - 21 Grams is a masterclass in acting. The second of its main virtues is that it is also a masterclass in direction. The story is not told chronologically, but follows what Iñárritu describes as the "emotional logic" of the story. We cut between the three main characters and jump back and forth in time, gradually piecing together both what has happened and how the three, initially totally separate-seeming, strands of the plot are connected. This technique, though bold, is not all that unusual in itself, but what is unusual is the way that Iñárritu makes it work so brilliantly - he keeps you guessing and involved, but never confuses you. This is a genuinely outstanding film.Read full review
'Intense' is probably the best word to describe 21 Grams, a muscular, heavyweight effort from director Alejandro González Iñárritu and writer Guillermo Arriaga, the men responsible for the sensational Amores Perros. Like that earlier effort, 21 Grams hinges on a car-crash, and deals with three intertwining stories concerning such major themes as death, redemption and guilt. The difference being that while the segments in Amores Perros brushed past each other, here the fractured narratives converge with as much impact as the crash that kickstarts them. Delicately structured in a manner that recalls Christopher Nolan's Following, by which past, present and future sequences jostle next to each other right from the off, the film makes no attempt to specify lapses of time between events. Gradually, like a jigsaw, the story comes together - though some audience members may resent such a method, particularly given that there is no discernible reason for this structure other than dissecting and dividing up the human misery on show. What becomes revealed is that 41-year-old critically ill mathematics professor Paul (Penn) is in dire need of a heart transplant. Encouraged by his wife Mary (Gainsbourg) to pursue the treatment, it's clear that she wants Paul alive so he can sire her a child. During his journey, he falls for drug-addicted Christina (Watts), a woman grieving over the loss of her family in the aforementioned crash, caused by Jack (Del Toro) - a man who will go through his own spiritual awakening following the tragedy. The bonds run far deeper than this, but to reveal too much would spoil the film's intent, which releases its information sparingly and via a means that allows us to observe, rather than participate, in the emotions on display.Read full review
excellent film starring sean penn, naomi watts and benicio del torro. they all revieved best actor, actress, supporting actor nominations at either the baftas or oscars but all missed out on winning
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN BBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGG WAKE ME UP WHEN ITS FINISHED. SEAN PENN AT HIS WORST? JUST COULDNT GET INTO IT. SLOW AND BORING AND WELL, IT MAY GET GOOD EVENTUALLY BUT HOW LONG HAVE YOU GOT? LOST INTEREST AND SWITCHED OFF.
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