I've been putting off writing about 21 GRAMS because I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it, at least not in a way that satisfies me. What I do know is that I came away quite disappointed. Not because the film failed to live up to my expectations (although it did), but because I knew how easily it could have been as great and powerful as some people are saying it is.

I feel bad admitting that after nearly an hour of watching 21 GRAMS I was bored out of my mind, but it's true. Actually, I think I was more annoyed by my own boredom than anything else, because there's so much to love about this film.


If anyone had doubts concerning whether or not Sean Penn deserved to be a lock for Best Actor this year for MYSTIC RIVER, his performance here should solidify that he does in fact deserve the Oscar that has eluded him for years. I don't think there's a better actor working today; he can say so much without ever opening his mouth. Benicio Del Toro proves that his Oscar win for TRAFFIC wasn't a fluke, as he is very convincing as a man who turns to Jesus in a manner that is just as unhealthy as the criminal activities of his past, mainly in the way it causes him to reprioritize the importance of his wife and kids. Finally, Naomi Watts is truly superb as a former drug-addict mother who is forced to endure a tragic loss. There are very few performances I can remember that cover such a wide range of emotions and are delivered with such conviction. Watts is the real deal, without question. The scene where she finds out the bad news (the central event of the story) is absolutely heart-wrenching.

So why is it that I was so bored by a movie that has three of the best performances of the year (or even the last five years), and tells a story that is equally dramatic and disturbing? It was chopped to pieces in the editing room. I know some people have come to the defense of director Alejandro González Iñarritu, who received lots of attention for his accomplished film AMORES PERROS (a.k.a. Love's a Bitch), but in the opinion of this critic there's no two ways about it.


21 GRAMS would have been a far superior and vastly more interesting film had it been told in chronological order. As it stands, there's no suspense or driving force behind it because we already know most of what takes place. Not everything, mind you, but enough to undermine its effect. I realize the purpose of the film is not to tell the story but to unfold a number of parallel themes between characters, but Iñarritu still could've accomplished this without sacrificing the unknown. I believe he is a director with immense talent and the potential to deliver some extremely powerful films as his ability matures and he begins to place more trust in himself. As Roger Ebert said, "he needs to get out of his own way."

Posted December 10, 2003 | link