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BY PHILLIP NAKOV | It
was a rather pleasant experience to sit down and watch "21 Grams" not
knowing what it was about more than having read the film's tag line "They
say we all lose 21 grams at the exact moment of our death, everyone."
But, as I have learned many of you are a little more demanding of your
time and want to know what a film is about before you go to the movies
and decide on a film. I would like to ask that if you can, please go see
this movie and skip the following review which is aimed at trying to convince
you to go see this over 'Elf' for the third time just because your friend's
sister hasn't seen it.
"21 Grams" is a story about people, life and mortality. College professor
Paul Rivers (Sean Penn) and his wife Mary (Charlotte Gainsbourg) find
their union precariously balanced between life and death. He is mortally
ill and awaiting a heart transplant, while she hopes to become pregnant
with his child though artificial insemination. Cristina Peck (Naomi Watts),
having matured since her reckless past, is a beloved older sister to Claudia
(Clea DuVall), a good wife to Michael (Danny Huston) and loving mother
to two little girls. Her family radiates hope and joy. Much farther down
the socioeconomic scale, ex-con Jack Jordan (Benicio Del Toro) and his
wife Marianne (Melissa Leo) struggle to provide for their two children
while Jack reaffirms his commitment to religion.
Told in non-linear story fashion at all, "21 Grams" requires concentration,
patience and a love for good story telling.
EXPECTATIONS
What I'd Seen
I had seen a tremendously provocative poster campaign featuring the above-mentioned
tag line as well as some curiously grainy photo images.
What I'd Heard
I had heard mixed reviews about the film from a variety of sources. But
being a huge fan of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's previous work on Amores
Perros, I had to see this film. I tend not to like to listen to too many
critics when it comes to the star power of Naomi Watts, Sean Penn and
Benicio Del Toro. That many great actors in one place couldn't be all
that bad.
What I Wanted
I wanted to understand why it is that we all lose 21 grams when we die.
I wanted to see a good story about life, death and answers to some of
these questions.
EXPERIENCE
What Turned Me On
The opening of the film is really quite shocking and jarring. There is
no long elaborate credit sequence. No long introduction to the characters
or the story. No title sequence. It just starts. BAM! You are there with
these characters, living with them, breathing their smoky air, feeling
their pain.
What Turned Me Off
Initially I was turned off by the non-linear story telling. (Non-linear
simply means that the film is not told from start to finish like 1,2,3.
Instead you start somewhere in the middle and work you way back a little,
then flash forward, than jump back, then forward to near the end, then
back. It was a little disconcerting at first but if you relax and let
them movie take you on a ride, you will enjoy it all the more. Ok, nothing
really turned me off about this film. Just go see it.
Lines Worth Repeating
"They say we all lose 21 grams at the exact moment of our death, everyone.
The weight of a stack of nickels. The weight of a chocolate bar. The weight
of a hummingbird." Very cool indeed and a great topic of conversation
at a party.
Never Saw That Before
This is not a picture to which you go to and expect to see aliens take
over Manhattan or a bus fly through the air. But you certainly do not
expect to see an actress break down in grief and pain to the level displayed
by Naomi Watts. We have all seen crying in the past but the level of agony
and sadness we witness when Naomi Watts breaks down at the hospital is
beyond sadness and borders on reality film making. You feel her pain,
her anguish and can't help but join in. Amazing.
Fidget Factor
NONE. ZERO. ZILCH.
AFTERMATH
I left thinking... why do we lose 21 grams when we die? The images and
memories from the film were jarring and moving at the same time. I can
actually remember the film as a whole and am not thinking about the non-linear
aspect of the film at all. As a whole, that is what one must consider.
The whole. I drove off wondering who will get the best actor nomination
and who would be nominated for best actor and who would get best supporting
actor nominations since both Sean and Benicio were tremendous. Naomi is
an easy call, she's in.
I left saying... If we lose 21 grams when we die, where do they go? Okay,
come nominations day we will have Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Naomi
Watts all up for awards as well as the film's director Alejandro Gonzalez
Inarritu, the film.
Expiry Date
None. This film will live on.
When it comes out on DVD... buy it and watch it over
and over. This is a film well worth having in your DVD library.
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