Directed by:
Alejandro González IñárrituScreenplay:
Guillermo ArriagaCinematography:
Rodrigo PrietoComposer:
Gustavo SantaolallaCast:
Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Danny Huston, Naomi Watts, Carly Nahon, Clea DuVall, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Claire Pakis, Eddie Marsan, John Rubinstein (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
A freak accident brings together a terminally ill mathematician (Penn), a grieving mother (Watts) and a born-again ex-con (Del Toro) in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's fantastic multi-layered follow up to his debut 'Amores Perros', a gripping story that takes them to the heights of passion, the depths of obsession and sees the promise of revenge... (Park Circus)
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Reviews (10)
This is an example of how an untraditional approach to narration serves only as an effective gimmick to turn a film into something more interesting than it actually is. I’m quite surprised at how many people say that 21 Grams is very emotional, I think it would be almost impossible to deal with a similar topic in a colder way.
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This is really strong. A piece of brilliant and unconventional filmmaking that may not be to everyone's taste, and the shards of the fragmented story are not easy to pick up, especially at first, but if you're having your day and agree to Iñárritu's challenging mind game, it could very well be the film experience of a lifetime. I obviously had my day and now I can't help but praise it to the skies. The complex frame composition, on which even an experienced filmmaker would have failed, was so impressive and in harmony with the depressing story that each additional cut meant for me a deeper immersion into the plot and more empathy for all the amazing characters. The performances, by the way, are another extensive chapter that could be written on the subject of 21 Grams. The central trio of Penn, Del Toro and Watts is clearly Oscar-worthy – for actors to go to such lengths for their roles and squeeze every last drop of the best out of themselves is something you really don't see that often. And if much of the story is motivated by a direct assault on the viewer's emotions (which cannot be denied), the resulting form is so authentic and believable that the frozen audience is unlikely to realize any creative machinations. A second viewing is inevitable and participation in at least my top 20 is up in the air.
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Thank God for the fact that they still make films that can tug at your soul. I love films that don't lead me by the hand, that make me ask questions, think about them; 21 Grams is exactly that. Iñárritu's consistent disruption of the temporal sequence is a clear win in my eyes, piecing together the mosaic of temporal shards was exciting and thrilling in its own way. This great impression is enhanced by the handheld camera and the interesting work with sound in places. Standing above these technical matters is the emotionality and depth of the script and the performances. Benicio, Benicio, you are awesome, I’ve not other words to say it. It is good to know that despite all the messiness of life, there is always hope, that bright spot in the distance, and that great movies are still being made.
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I hate to say it, but I really didn't like this movie. It has a pretty simple story that is only intricately told to make it look more interesting, I feel it rather hurt the film. I found the flashbacks very hard to navigate, even more so when the film is so terribly boring, slow and not to mention emotional. Sean Penn's worst role yet. For me, a waste of time and all that hype even gave me a headache.
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In the first twenty minutes I thought, if I understand this, I'll be good. And world wonder, the connections started to work and I could see a truly perfect whole that is full of emotion, drama and well, just something you have to watch from start to finish to understand what initially is impossible to grasp. 21 Grams stands a cut above Alejandro González Iñárritu previous Amores Perros and deserves a full score for the theme, the acting, the music and the atmosphere, which was very dense at times.
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Gallery (45)
Photo © 2003 Focus Features
![21 Grams - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/166/114/166114454_95bea2.jpg)
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