It is believed that everyone loses 21 grams at the exact moment when we die. People claim it?s the person?s soul that constitutes the 21 grams! Academy Award nominee Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu directs 21 grams that mainly revolves around love, revenge, fate, hope and redemption.
Like his previous film, Amores Perros, this one also has a similar scrambled narrative structure. The story moves through past and present. The narration although quite similar to Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction seems to be more complex. Since the plot unravels in an unchronological manner, it takes sometime to figure what?s actually going on. The initial 30 to 45 minutes is quite confusing leaving the viewer scratching their heads trying to comprehend the storyline.
The Mexican director converges three different unconnected stories. Academy Award winner Sean Penn plays Paul Rivers, a math professor, who is suffering from a cardiac illness in need of a heart transplant. As the film unfolds we realize that he has a troubled marriage and see him squabbling with his wife. She lives with him more out of obligation. His wife wants to have children and wants to undergo artificial insemination. Paul?s situation is critical and he?ll die if he doesn?t get the heart transplant done soon.
Academy Award Nominee Naomi Watts portrays Christina, a recovered drug addict. She is happily married and has two daughters. Christina plays the role of a caring mother and a loving wife. The third story revolves around the character of Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro who plays Jack, a tattooed ex-con. He relies on his Christian faith to help him become a better man in society, as he counsels and advises upset and troubled youth. Jack and his wife, Marianne struggle to provide for their children. Benicio Del Toro plays a complex and intriguing character with a lot of zeal and conviction.
At some point during the movie a tragedy causes the three characters to cross paths. From that instant, the movie suddenly appears to have a structure and most of the events fall in place. Jack is involved in a car accident killing Christina?s husband along with her two daughters. Her husband?s heart is donated to Paul to save his life. After recovering, Paul tries to relentlessly locate the family of his donor. As the story unfolds, Sean Penn?s character collides with Christina and then with Jack.
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu uses unconventional narration to tell the story, which was initially written in Spanish. Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto and Stephen Mirrione, film editor, do some splendid work by giving the film a jerky and jagged touch trying to make the movie very realistic. Most of the scenes are captured with a hand held camera, giving the feeling that anything can happen anytime. Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Del Toro have acted brilliantly giving a natural touch to their characters. Very outstanding and powerful acting by everyone. All in all, an excellent movie worth watching.