21 Grams
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Movie Reviews of 21 Grams
Movie Review: A few slight flaws, but very affecting overall
Summary: 5 Stars
This is film has received a lot of heated discussion, so I think I'll keep it relatively short, for once. The big debate surrounds the nonlinear narrative, with many suggesting that it isn't really necessary, and actually hurts the film. I'll admit, I kinda agree with these people- it ain't really needed. However, I don't think it really hurts it, even if it is a sorta needless affectation.
The unconventional narrative is especially strange considering that this is largely a three person character-study and acting showcase. Right now I'm gonna reveal a little more of the plot than is typical for the reviews for this. I don't think it'll hurt you to read it, but consider yourself warned: '21 Grams' centers around the aftermath of a car accident, focusing on the effects it has on Jack, the man who caused the accident, Cristina, the wife and mother of those who were killed in it, and the terminally ill man, Paul, who receives a heart transplant from one of the victims. Needless to say, their lives become intertwined afterward. Honestly, it hasn't got much of a plot at all, really, but the three leads all provide stunning, moving performances. Benicio Del Toro is the best of them as the bulky and tattooed born-again ex-con who causes the tragic auto accident that sets off the core events of the film. He's a more complex character than you might expect, as he falls apart, his life which he barely got under some sort of control suddenly collapsing through a combination of bad luck and negligence. There are a number of scenes of his regret which are just just so sad and powerful. Frankly, they easily coulda been cliché and cheap, but Benicio completely pulls them off. Naomi Watts plays a devastated widow and former druggie who's sliding back to her old life. Fortunately, the script allows her a wider range than one might anticipate, even if she only expresses anger and grief. Also, when she starts screaming her head off it's actually believable, both in the performance and the context, a rarity in the films I've seen. Penn is the weakest of the leads, as Paul, but he's still excellent. I'm not that big of a Penn fan. His roles are always convincing, for sure, but his characters have never really struck me as all that interesting. (Seems like everything I've seen him in he's a taciturn cynic who is usually fairly well reserved but has the potential to explode.) He still plays this basic role much of the time in the film, but he is slowly revealed as the film goes on, and proves to be a truly sympathetic individual at the end.
I suppose that's what this all comes down to. I became very interested in and attached to these characters, moreso than in the vast majority of the other films I've seen. And frankly, that's not usually the sorta thing I'm big on. We got plenty of real people in the world, so show me something new, or different or whatever, when you're making a film. Still, I'll have to admit that most of my very favorite films manage to have a strong human element in them. The real problem is that most films simply can't pull it off, can't make characters that are real and sympathetic enough to be worth watching. '21 Grams' does it, or it did for me, anyway. It is perhaps a little too drawn out, at times, or redundant, or seemed to be at the time anyway, but watching these people is what this movie is about. Take it or leave it.
The film has a grainy, grimy look and appears to have been shot with handheld cameras almost exclusively. Some have complained about this, but I like the gritty look, particularly the colors. It is pretty damn grainy at times, I'll admit, but again, I'm pretty sure that's how it's meant to be. It's got a sad, stirring soundtrack as well, mostly used relatively sparingly. The dialogue is fluid and natural, but still with a few of those powerful, memorable 'movie moments' that probably wouldn't ever happen in real life, but you buy them anyway.
I dunno if there is that much more to say. With a film like this it's tough to really say why it works so well. You'll just have to see for yourself. It's certainly not for everyone, as the unconventional structure will irritate some, the slow pace others, and the exceedingly dark subject matter still others. And, honestly, it is perhaps the slightest bit pretentious. But, it reaches high enough that the fact that it thinks it's a maybe a little bit more than it is doesn't hurt it too much, when you look at what it has got.
Edit: After watching this movie a second time I am somewhat less impressed. The fact that none of it really adds up too anything in particular proves more irritating the second time thru, and the performances lose a bit of their impact. Still, it's very good, but I'd probably now bring it down to 4 stars, if I were allowed to do so.
Hmm, turns out that wasn't so short after all.
Grade: B+
Movie Review: a masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
There's no point in beating around the bush about this. "21 Grams" is a cinematic masterpiece, one of the most brilliant and heart-wrenching films to come our way in the past several years. In a mere two hours and five minutes, this great work grapples with most of the fundamental themes of life, including death, religion, loss, grief, guilt, recrimination, retribution, redemption, salvation - and does so in a way that is utterly unique, profound, moving and compelling. Guillermo Arriaga has written a film that virtually defies description; he and director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu have structured the narrative much like a giant puzzle, so that, at the beginning, the film seems like a jumble of unrelated scenes, with images from both the past and the "present" thrown together in seemingly random and haphazard order. Only as the story develops do all those pieces begin to fall into place so that, by the end, we see the Big Picture in all its complete and revelatory glory. Yet, so skilled are both the writer and director in developing and handling their material that there is not a single moment of confusion throughout the course of the film's running time. Thanks to the intensity of the performances, the artistry of the writing and directing, and the script's keen observations on human nature, we are drawn into the world of this film in a way that rarely happens in the cinema anymore.Among other things, "21 Grams" boasts one of the most striking and amazing acting ensembles in recent memory. The film focuses on three initially unrelated individuals whose lives intersect at a single tragic event - a hit-and-run accident that kills a man and his two young daughters who are crossing the street at the moment of impact. The incomparable Sean Penn plays Paul Rivers, a chain-smoking heart patient who gets a new lease on life when he becomes the donor recipient of the man killed in the accident. Naomi Watts is Christina Peck, a young reformed drug-addict and wife and mother of the three victims. Benicio Del Toro is Jack Jordan, a former petty criminal who's turned his life around by "finding Jesus," yet who suffers a life-changing and soul-destroying experience when he runs over the three victims, then flees the scene. The anguish experienced by each character is conveyed in agonizing detail by these three brilliant performers. There are also any number of first-rate supporting actors who make an indelible mark on the film and on our hearts, prime among them Charlotte Gainsbourg, as Paul's wife, who is unable to make a claim on her husband's affections despite standing by him through his life-threatening illness, and Melissa Leo as Jack's wife, who, in a similar way, cannot break through the impenetrable wall of guilt and self-loathing Jack has put up between himself and the outside world. I imagine that "21 Grams" will be shown in film courses for years to come, if for no other reason than as a model of superb ensemble acting for fledgling filmmakers to study and emulate.
At its deepest level, "21 Grams" is really about how each of us learns to cope with unspeakable tragedy in our lives, as the three main characters are forced to face the bitterest trials life has to offer. The measure of their character lies in how each of them deals with that trial. Paul feels a need to bond with the woman whose husband gave him renewed life, even if that bond, and the feeling of personal gratitude and responsibility that comes with it, requires him to take away another man's life. Christina, now utterly bereft of all that gave her life meaning, finds she can only cope with the utter senselessness of her loss by seeking retaliation on the man she knows is responsible for her emptiness. Jack undergoes a grave spiritual crisis as he lashes out at God for - as he comes to see it - making him an unwitting participant in the tragedy. Christina and Jack, in particular, have a great deal in common, since both have succeeded in shaking off the problems of a troubled past, only to have their source of salvation (in her case, her family and, in his, religion), mercilessly pulled out from under them. Indeed, all three characters have their lives and souls torn asunder by the shattering vicissitudes of everyday life. And their emotional pain becomes ours.
Put quite simply, "21 Grams" is the single best movie I have seen in years, a complete artistic triumph for all involved. It will leave you reeling.
Movie Review: Drenched in depression and seeping with brilliance...
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a fan of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Sure, he dwells within the realms of his `one-trick' and some define him as gimmicky (interwoven character arcs thriving within a convoluted structure) but he knows how to make that `gimmick' sing for all it's worth. He did it with `Amores Perros' and he does it here too. He also did it with `Babel', but to a less than magnificent result.
`21 Grams' may be his best film to date.
The film tells the complicated and heartrending story of a young woman named Christina who is drawn into the lives of two men after a tragic accident leaves her widowed. One of those men is Paul, a professor in dire need of a heart transplant. The other man is Jack, an ex-convict who has turned his life over to god in order to atone for his sins, one of which being the cause of Christina's predicament.
Yes, Jack killed her husband.
Shifting back and forth within time, `21 Grams' weaves a delicate web of harsh realities that brings the audience to a dark place thriving with life. The complexities are all held tightly within these three amazingly real characters, all of which come to life in vivid and mesmerizing ways. My first viewing of this film left me rather spellbound. I knew it wasn't perfect (not many films are), but it also had such a strong hold on my emotions that I was compelled to watch it again and again and again. Every time I see this film I am rushed with more emotions, for it remains real and compelling every time. The reality that life is fragile and that life is every changing seeps through every pore of this film. You can't help but watch these shattered souls and wonder how they make it through. Their struggles are so deeply felt, so richly realized. Some have balked at the films unending sense of torment, but for me it never really becomes something unbelievably harsh. `21 Grams' uses the darker realities of life as a stepping stone to establish human tendencies and the need within us all to survive. It also shows the will we have to right the wrongs and redeem ourselves through the survival of others.
As depressing as this film is, it is strangely uplifting upon reflection.
The performances here are all stellar, especially from Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts. Watts, one of the greatest actresses of her generation (a few pegs shy of Kate Winslet), delivers a gut punch performance here. Some call this performance too dramatic, but I think that that particular perception may be poisoned by the films narrative flow. It only seems dramatic because the pieces are not in order. When you consider how she builds her character and look at it from that view then you see a completely realized character. She understands how to live within the character. You can see her taking in every moment, and it helps create someone truly unforgettable. Del Toro is one of the better actors working today. This performance is most certainly his finest to date. The way he drenches himself in his character determination, allowing his every fault to become his driving force; it's unmistakably solid. Instead of falling into the cliché of playing a `Jesus Freak' with obviousness, he underscores a generic character with flourishes of purpose and understanding. Sean Penn, an actor I find highly overrated, is very good here. This performance is FAR better than his hammy Oscar winning one from the same year (how he one of `Mystic River' is beyond me). He understands the subtlety that is needed to highlight to unnerving reality befalling this man. You can see him slowly withering away within his own solitude.
The supporting cast is also magnificent here, especially the significant others played by Danny Huston, Melissa Leo and Charlotte Gainsbourg.
In the end I highly recommend this film. It is an eternal downer at first glance, so be prepared to take your mood down a few notches, but the rich script allows for the emotions to display themselves in interesting and provoking ways, and this is definitely a film that will continue to provoke you to think, and glean.
Movie Review: I saw this in theaters and it STILL haunts me on DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
"21 Grams" is a gut-twisting, throat-grabbing, and disturbingly powerful film. Not in a long time has such a film challenged an audience to think about what they have just seen. It raises many questions, but that doesn't mean that it leaves the audience unsatisfied. It is certainly one of the best films I have seen all year long-or ever.The film has many characters, but it pictures Cristina Peck (Naomi Watts), an ex-drug addict turned housewife and mother. She has two wonderful daughters and a kind husband. To remain motivated in life, she swims with her sister Claudia (Clea DuVall) and stays in shape. Paul Rivers (Sean Penn) is a mathematics professor who has a fatal heart problem and needs a new, donated heart soon or he will die. His wife Mary (Charlotte Gainsbourg) desperately wants a child but cannot conceive, and will go to the extremes of artificial insemination to have a family. However, Paul does not agree with this idea. Jack Jordan (Benicio Del Toro) is a spiritual ex-convict who preaches to prisoners in hopes of improving life and staying clean. Marianne (Melissa Leo), his wife, has grown weary of insistently going to church and is upset with his poor parenting skills for their two children. Meanwhile, Cristina's world closes in on her when tragedy strikes and she descends back into drugs and depression. The lives of these three people become intertwined and the audience knows that something terrible is going to happen because the film opens with Cristina screaming in a motel as Paul bleeds and Jack is frozen in place, listening to Cristina's pleading.
"21" is not a film in chronological order. It is, in fact, a film where the ending is shown at the beginning and the characters often know more than the audience, or visa versa. Little details and clues are fed to the viewer as the film progresses and crashes in a stunning finale. The title refers to the supposed weight that everyone loses at the exact moment of death. This is not a misleading title because this is a very dark, grainy, gritty, and upsetting drama. The disturbing images are subtle, and the fabulous photography helps capture what is going on so clearly. Everything is very dark and dim, and the camera is constantly shaking to get a feel for the lives of the characters. The editing is deserving of an Academy Award because it doesn't confuse the audience too much-it just doesn't give them everything they want right in the beginning.
The performances are all Oscar caliber in genius Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's tour de force. Sean Penn is pitch-perfect, but his character touches familiar ground as in "Mystic River." Benicio Del Toro is fantastic as a very disturbed but honest man. Charlotte Gainsbourg and Melissa Leo both are solid as the wives of the main characters, and at many times, the audience really hates both these women for being so selfish-if a film can do that, then the screenwriter and director have both done their job. However, it is Naomi Watts that really makes "21 Grams." Her performance is so captivating that you can't take your eyes off the screen. She will certainly come out of the Hollywood darkness in this one, making herself a well-known and more respected actress. She deserves an Academy Award because Naomi plays another character that you really want to hate and scream at. She is that good! All of the players are at the top of their game.
If you can sit through darkness, drugs, and depression, this is a great movie with a lot to offer and a shocker of an ending. All the performances are perfect, and the technical production of the film is first rate. "21 Grams" arrives at number 2 on my list of 2003 great films, and deserves all of its acclaim.
Movie Review: The Most Creatively Brilliant Film in Years
Summary: 5 Stars
21 GRAMS is a film of such importance that attempting to review it is intimidating. Once in a while a film appears that is a Benchmark, a film that is destined to alter the concept of moviemaking as an art form. That this is only the second film from the obviously prodigiously gifted co-writer and Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu ( the strikingly creative and disturbing 'Amores Perros' being his first) serves the craft well in continuing the promise of film as art.Inarritu enlists the intelligence of his audience and what a partnership that creates! His "style" is called non-linear which merely means that the story of the film is not spoon fed to us in a "this happens, then this resulted, then this altered, then this happened" etc fashion. Inarritu takes advantage of the fact that visual images can hold so much power that the story behind them seems secondary at the moment of viewing only to alert us to THINK as we see bits and pieces of history and result dangling from a mobile, ever in motion. We are led to believe one thing depending on how we relate to the image on the screen, and then we are shown that we misjudged that event as we are given more detail from the past and from the future.
While this technique may sound difficult to follow, Inarritu uses it with such facility that learning the true story being told is similar to the way we are running through life: we see fragments, remember tiny moments, watch the media alter variations of reporting reality, hear gossip, view events with prejudiced eyes, form opinions based on our individual experiences with like events in our own lives, or in other words always be faced with the question of what are the drivers of accidents/fate/destiny/need/passion.
The story is basically one of how three disparate characters' lives complexly intertwine - people who come to a fatal auto crash with very different life patterns. A mathematics professor with severe heart disease, a reformed drug addict mother who happens to be the wife and mother of the victims, and a Bible thumping ex-con who drives the truck that causes the accident. The events that ensue after the crash (the victim a heart transplant donor for the mathmetician, the devastation the event has on the perpetrator and on the surviving wife) are the storylines we follow. The ending is an intelligent, shocking surprise and one that alters the way you will view events and people after you leave the story behind.
Inarritu has employed the gifted artists Sean Penn, Benecio Del Toro, and Naomi Watts and each of them gives the most potent performances of their careers to date. It is impossible to single out the strongest one as each actor owns the full spectrum of each character and each performance seems to exude from their innermost core of their talent. Each is powerful, subtle, sensitive, wholly credible and deeply moving. The other cast members are very strong - especially Clea DuVall and Charlotte Gainsbourg who take their seemingly supportive roles to heights of such importance that it seems the story could not progress without them.
The photography is appropriately and conceptually dark and the quality of the picture has a decadent graininess to it that enhances the mood and the perplexing mystery of the story. But in the final analysis it is the magisterial directing talent of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu that is simply mind-boggling. This is a VERY important film, so very much worth the work required from us the audience, and as with most things in life, the more we invest the more we gain. Well worth 10 Stars!