21 Grams (2003)

3.0

DRAMA/THRILLER
U.S. Release Date: 11/21/03
Running Length: 125 Minutes
MPAA Classification: R (Violence, Profanity, Nudity, Sexual Situations)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Cast: Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Naomi Watts, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Danny Huston, Clea DuVall, Marc Musso
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Screenplay: Guillermo Arriago
Cinematography: Rodrigo Prieto
Music: Gustavo Santaolalla
U.S. Distributor: Focus Features

Review by: Carter Moulton

01/28/09

As cold and uninviting as its plot may sound, 21 Grams proves to be a rewarding picture, much in thanks to its lead performances. Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro are refined and human throughout, but Naomi Watts is the backbone of this film. She’s almost too good in her emotional breakdowns—I felt uncomfortable watching them. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu approaches the grim storyline non-linearly, similar to Christopher Nolan’s approach in Memento (though that film uses it better). There are definitely some plot-holes present, but whether this technique was used to mask them is uncertain.

The film's puzzle-piece narrative consists of three core characters. Paul Rivers (Sean Penn, also in Mystic River, I Am Sam) is a college professor in need of a heart transplant. Christina Peck (Naomi Watts, The Ring) plays a housewife with a husband and two girls. Jack Jordan (Del Toro, Snatch.) is a struggling ex-convict who tries to live his life according to his newly found Christianity. To go into more depth would minimize the films intentions, but, needless to say, all three storylines crash into each other in a most disturbing way. If solving puzzles and complexities is your thing, you’ll be satisfied with 21 Grams' approach.

Photo © Focus Features

At first, the film comes off as arrogant because of its in-your-face “originality," but that first-impression fades as we begin to make connections with the characters. It’s quite stimulating by the end. There are moments of genius here—watch for a scene involving a leaf blower that redefines the word “uneasy." The film has a whole different aura to it every time Naomi Watts is on the screen. She gives a selfless performance, successfully positioning her character somewhere between abysmal depression and insanity.

Iñárritu moves the camera—often handheld—freely, which helps us sink into the fabric of the narrative. Even deeper beneath the story there is a Christian metaphor being toyed with, but I’ll let you draw your own conclusions as to its purpose. 21 Grams is depressing, yes, but its performances are a thing to cheer about. The film’s connection with “21 grams”—the weight you supposedly loose before you die—is a little excessive. The movie mostly ignores the “21 gram” theme, so when Penn talks about it during the film’s ending narration, it seems a bit insincere. Minor flaws aside, 21 Grams is well worth your time and a good choice for a rainy afternoon.