The only way I can think to describe Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s 21 Grams is like a hurricane. We have all seen the Doppler pictures on the Weather Channel: two streaks start out separately, then wind into a spiraling vortex. (A picture is provided below for those people who don’t know to what I am referring.)In this film, three characters lives start out on their respective yet paths, but soon these three characters are spun together by a tragic accident, all told in a jigsaw puzzle narrative which is more rewarding than complex.
Because of the non-linear narrative, its difficult to give a competent plot summary that wouldn’t reveal crucial plot details, so I will keep my description to a minimum. Paul Rivers (Sean Penn) is a math professor who needs a new heart, and if he doesn’t get one, he will die. Cristina (Naomi Watts) is a happily married woman with two children who is trying to put her life of drugs and alcohol deeper and deeper into her past. Jack (Benecio Del Toro) is a reformed ex-con, who is clinging to faith and Jesus for redemption and the strength to live day to day with his wife and children. These three people are from three different walks of life, and one tragic event will hurl them all together and change each of their lives forever.
At first glance, the film’s narrative is distracting and difficult. We never know quite what is going on, or why a character is doing something which seems to contradict everything we just learned about that character from the previous segment! But as the film progresses, the pieces start to come together and we can see the clear picture begin to form. Some have argued that this narrative serves no purpose, and if this story had been told in linear fashion, it would have been more compelling. I couldn’t disagree more. This is a story about grief and redemption, and the story is fractured to show that the characters are fractured. As the picture starts to come together, 21 Grams becomes more “edge of your seat” than any of those so-called big-budget thrillers; we realize what is happening, and wait anxious to see what piece of the puzzle will be added next. One of the reasons why several scenes are particularly heart-breaking is because we have glimpses into the future of these characters, and we can see how certain events will send them reeling and spiraling downward.
As good as this film is scripted and directed, it wouldn’t have been the same without the amazing trio of performances from Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, and Benecio Del Toro. As good as his performance is in Mystic River, I feel that it is Sean Penn’s turn in 21 Grams which is the real talent shining through. Naomi Watts who has experienced acclaim from both the box office (2002’s The Ring) and from the critics (David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive) delivers what I believe to be one of the year’s strongest performances from any person, man or woman. Benecio Del Toro has the least showy role of the three principal characters, but he still matches Watts and Penn which is certainly saying something.
Unless you are bound and determined to hate this movie for whatever reason, you will find this to be one of the most powerful movies of the year like I did. I hate writing sentences like that because they are so cliche, but in the case of 21 Grams, it is 100% true. I can’t quite find the right words to describe the reaction that I had when I left the theatre, but all I can say is that I was numb; it was like I had just been punched in the gut. The emotions portrayed on the screen are so raw that its difficult to not have a physical response. Watching this movie is tough at times because of its poignant observations of guilt, grief and redemption that are delivered by both the script and the performances. 21 Grams makes you think, and like any artistic masterpiece worth its weight in celluloid, it forces you to react and feel. Simply put, this is a brilliant film which deserves my highest grade.
Grade: A
© 2004 Jacob Sproul
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