The Bottom Line
Pros
- Strong performances by Naomi Watts, Benicio Del Toro, and Sean Penn
- Movie is intellectually engaging
- Ending is satisfying (but it may take a little thought to see why)
Cons
- Chronologically scrambled story takes work to unravel (could be a pro)
- Unlikable characters and dark, brooding mood (could be a pro)
- DVD provides no bonus materials of any kind
Description
- DVD containing English-language drama “21 Grams”
- Movie stars Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Naomi Watts
- Watts and Del Toro received Academy Award nominations for their performances
- Film has same director, screenwriter, and cinematographer as “Amores perros”
- MPAA rating: R for language, sexuality, some violence and drug use
- Excellent picture and sound quality
- Feature run time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- DVD release date: March 16, 2004
Guide Review - "21 Grams" DVD Review
A friend whose opinion I respect told me she hated the first 15 minutes of “21 Grams” so much she walked out. Now I’ve finally got around to seeing this film for myself, and I can understand her reaction. I found the beginning of the movie unpleasant and the characters unlikable. Also, I felt jerked around by the filmmakers because they made a jigsaw puzzle of the story by scrambling the chronology. But there was a big difference between my experience with the movie and that of my friend: she was in a theater, while I was at home watching it on DVD.
Since I was at home, it was easier for me to persevere to the end of the film, and while I can’t say it won my heart, it earned my admiration. This is an actor’s movie, but to my mind, it was more cerebral than character-driven. I’d describe this film as a mood piece and a sometimes maddening one. I believe the movie’s unconventional structure is intended to first throw the viewer off kilter and into the characters’ torment. As the film progresses, the narrative become clearer and some central ideas emerge. Although most of this movie is filled with despair and chaos, towards the end there are hints of hope and redemption. But it took me some thought after finishing “21 Grams” to understand this.
