Review of 21 Grams (2003) by Mohamed F — 11 Apr 2010

Guillermo Arriaga (screenwriter) explained the main reason behind the non-linear narrative of his and Inarritu's trilogy. He says, "just think about how you tell somebody what happened in your day or any other anecdote and you'll find your narrative is as fragmented or maybe even more as my screenplays. That's why people understand them with no difficulty: it's the way people tell their own stories everyday, starting in the middle, going back to the ending, going back to the beginning and then telling something that has nothing to do with the main theme and then going back to the middle. It's how people talk...".

Well, I have to say that regardless of whether or not he actually said this, it does explain something about this film, not enough, but something...

This movie is confusing, but not in or bc of the non-linear storyline itself, the way in which the movie was told; it is confusing bc of the very reason why the director and the screenwriter chose to use loop de loop confusion within the continuity of the story which causes it be interesting, confusing, & obfuscating all at the same time. And that does take something away from the film. Maybe I should see it again but, I don't think that would help & my rating might actually get worse. It could have been a lot better!

This movie was SUPERBLY acted!!! And if it didn't have the extremely superb acting this movie would have been perhaps the most confusing piece of cinematic trash, ...perhaps in the history of all cinema!!