Review of 21 Grams (2003) by Daniel K — 09 Nov 2009
3: This is the kind of film one can't really watch more than once and expect to experience anything like what they did during the initial viewing. It makes me wish Inarritu had stayed in Mexico and stayed truer to his roots.
His explorations of other cultures, often showing the universal commonalities, are not as rich or rewarding as his earlier masterpiece Amores perros. This has been the case with countless directors over the years, from Antonioni to Kar-Wai.
The performances here are stellar, particularly from the three leads (Gainsbourg and Leo are great as well), but this doesn't make up for the sometimes inexplicably fragmented story. I'm all for more experimental editing processes, but only if it serves some higher purpose regarding either the narrative or the art form.
Quite often, it doesn't seem entirely necessary here. Some of the voiceovers don't quite ring true either, even if the performances before and after have been spot on. Interesting work, but not a particular favorite of mine and more of a disappointment than anything, having known to what heights the director/writer team can reach.
This review of 21 Grams (2003) was written by Daniel K on 09 Nov 2009.
21 Grams has generally received very positive reviews.
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