Review of Amores Perros (2000) by Joey S — 13 Oct 2012

An impressive debut for Alejandro González Iñárritu, who went on to direct movies like Babel and Biutiful, Amores Perros is a dark, unrelenting look at the savage nature of humans. Themes of disloyalty and brutality are frequently conveyed through the relationships the characters have with dogs, relationships that range from affectionate to barbaric.

There are a number of graphic dog-fighting scenes, and although no dogs were hurt in the production of the movie, the scenes are incredibly disturbing and intense. Like some of the director's other movies, Amores Perros is divided into three connected stories, the first of which I found to be the best.

There are no happy endings though, as each story ends in a darker place than it began. As a whole, the movie is a thought-provoking and consistently engrossing, if a bit overlong, study on human nature, and is an interesting start to the talented director's career.