21 Grams

Released 2003
Stars Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Naomi Watts, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Danny Huston, Clea DuVall, Marc Musso
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu

It's difficult to provide any kind of plot summary that doesn't give away crucial details, so I'll stick to the bare facts. 21 Grams centers around three main characters whose fates intersect at a crucial moment. Paul (Sean Penn) is a math professor with a bad heart. His marriage to Mary (Charlotte Gainsbourg) seems as doomed as he is, but she refuses to leave him in his terminal state. She wants to have his child via artificial insemination, but, without a heart transplant, he will not live long enough to see his offspring. Jack (Benicio Del Toro) is an ex-con who has reformed his life through devotion to Jesus. But there are times, especially in his home life, when glimpses of his past personality shine through. Christine (Naomi Watts) is a happily married woman with a loving husband and two delightful daughters. She is content with her daily routine until events send her life spinning out of control, impelling her back into the drug-induced haze from which her marriage rescued her.

Summary from James Berardinelli

I loved Iñárritu's first film, Amores Perros, but I didn't like this one. Although it had a strong story and acting, two things sank it for me--the hand-held cameras and the editing. The editing turned this serious film about debilitating guilt into a spastic music video without the music. The quick cuts back and forth in time killed any chance for me to become emotionally attached to the characters, and I just felt jerked around by the director. I thought this movie blew chunks. --Bill Alward, May 14, 2004