One Paragraph Review: 21 Grams

I will be the first to admit that I really didn't understand this movie. At all. I didn't understand why the characters behaved the way they did. I didn't understand or sympathize with their actions. The three main characters seemed like completely depraved human beings. Yet my reaction is completely at odds with everyone else who sees this movie. Did I miss something? After seeing the movie, I went out and read several plot summaries. Yet I still don't feel like I understood why any of the characters made any of the decisions they did. The acting was jarring but I just did not connect. The yelling and crying and screaming all seemed warranted and justified, but I couldn't for the life of me tell you why. I don't say this to intentionally sound obtuse or curmudgeonly. Honestly, I don't. I had no idea what the hell this movie was about but you should still see it.

One Paragraph Review: 21 Grams

While director Alejandro González Iñárritu definitely deserves every bit of acclaim and praise he has received for his thoughtful and careful direction, what really sets this movie apart for me is the performances by the lead roles. Each of the lead characters gives defining, visceral performances. Each of these actors deliver scene after scene of unbelievable emotional weight, focusing the film on Naiomi Watts' agony when she screams, "I am paralyzed here! I am a fucking amputee!" or Benicio del Toro's haunting guilt as he mutters "One of the girls that I killed, she looked me in the eye, she wanted to tell me something," or Sean Penn's fury as he shouts, "You can help me die BETTER. Well, I'm not gonna do that, okay? I'd rather die outside." On the strength of these awesome performances, this is a great, powerful film that you're not likely to easily forget.