21 Grams (2003)

Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Written by Guillermo Arriaga

Being prepared to see certain movies certainly can make a significant difference in how you perceive them. Within the last year, I have seen Charlotte Gainsbourg in Antichrist, Benico Del Toro in Che, Sean Penn in Milk, Naomi Watts in Mulholland Drive, Eddie Marsen in Happy Go-Lucky and Melissa Leo in Frozen River and Welcome to the Riley’s. Pieces of those performances resonated in my mind throughout this movie. Fragmented performances, along with the fragmented storytelling in 21 Grams, evoke a tone of familiarity.

The heart of this movie though lies in the performances of its’ three main characters. Naomi Watts is at her best as a raw, devastatingly real mother who has lost her husband and two daughters in a hit and run. Bencio del Toro, the man behind the hit and run, is such a complex character that despite his fundamental religiosity creates a sympathetic portrayal of a man struggling to forgive himself for destroying this unknown family. Sean Penn contributes his brilliant skills as an actor to create another dynamic character: a math professor who receives a donated heart from Naomi Watts’ dead husband and seeks to thank her in a creepy unorthodox way. Not only does Sean birth this hauntingly sick man, but he also adds a dimension of vulnerability and weariness that makes me overlook the twisted and heartlessness some of his other actions.

Despite the extremely raw emotional performances, the fragmented nature of the movie holds the emotion of the actors at arms length from the viewer, relying instead on suspense and forward momentum. The haunting score by two-time Oscar winner Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain, and Babel) also contributes to the melancholy mood created by the editing. Overall, 21 Grams is a solid movie by a director who has proven himself again and again (see Amores Perros (2000) and Babel (2006)).

Introduction

I've finally got my act together and decided that I'm going to start to write down some thoughts about at least one of the 5-6 movies a week that I watch. Perhaps it's to justify my over-indulgent behavior, or a desire to analyze why some movies make me fall in love with them, while others, with all sorts of technical prowess, disappoint me.

I can't imagine that all too many people will care what some random geeky guy in Salt Lake City thinks about some obscure film that even fewer care to see. Perhaps there is one or two who may find a reason to indulge their curiosity and see something that might challenge them, or move them in ways they wouldn't have imagined.

Whether or not anyone cares, I'm still going to do it. If only because I have a hard time remembering them myself.