- Description
A conversation with Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and actors Melissa Leo and Benicio Del Toro about their film "21 Grams", which tells interweaving storie surrounding a horrific car accident and the search for redemption that follows.
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Ashmead 05/31/2008 01:02 AM Report
"21 Grams" along with "Amores perros" and "Babel" are three of the most engaging, gut-wrenching, and ultimately rewarding film experiences I can recall in recent years. I recently saw "21 Grams" (again) with a friend with whom the story resonated; he had lost a parent a few years ago. The performances by the principal players, including Mr. Del Toro, were brilliant and the supporting cast, including Ms. Leo, were excellent. Acting rarely gets better than this.
Although the non-linear narrative of this film may not be to everyone's liking, there was one memorable cut later in the film: from the "red shoelaces" scene in the kitchen with a supportive Paul (Mr. Penn) and an angry, vengeful Christina (a flawlessly intense Ms. Watts) to the desert outside the run-down motel with a gun wielding Paul and a crouched, scared Jack (Mr. Del Toro). Perfect.
According to the Internet rumor mill, there was a parting of ways between Mr. González-Iñárritu and Mr. Arriaga. If that is indeed the case, then this is an awful shame; these two men made wonderful, humanistic cinematic poetry together.
And, on another topic...
Kudos to Mr. Rose for offering a way out of the voyeuristic "celebrity journalism" that pollutes much of commercial television.