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They say that patience is a virtue and after watching this film I have to agree. Ten minutes in and I was ready to switch off but boy am I glad that I stayed with it.
This DVD had sat in a corner of my living room for a number of months along with a few other films that I had purchased and never watched. For some reason I had always assumed that it was a film about drugs, maybe that was because of the title, to me 21 grams sounded like a drug reference, or maybe it was because of the trailer which showed drug taking and some washed out wasted characters. Even ten minutes in I still thought this was the case however this was because it reminded me of the film Traffic which centered on the drugs industry and the impact that it had on a disparate group of people.
This is also quite a difficult film to review because of the way the story is told and so as not to risk giving too much away I will be brief. Basically this film examines the impact a fatal car accident has on the lives of three people. In that way there is a similarity between it and Traffic in that Traffic used three story lines to show the devastation drugs can have not just on the users but their wider families and with
21 grams the film explores the devastation caused by a road accident not just on the victims but also on their families. It focuses on the family members left behind but also the impact on the driver who was at fault and the innocent members of his family. In addition an extra twist is introduced with a third party whose life is also affected by the fall out from the accident initially in a positive way but the psychological effects that follow have far reaching consequences.
I have been deliberately vague as possible so as not to spoil your enjoyment of this film. This is partly due to the style in which the story is told as it jumps around in time showing short scenes involving all the main characters and the challenge comes in unraveling the sequence in which these happen so that you the viewer can understand the story. Initially this style was what prompted me to consider switching off, it was all so confusing (and I was very tired) and too much effort that I nearly gave in. What in effect y are getting is the start middle and finish all squashed into a ten minute opening, in these ten minutes you get to witness nudity and drug taking as well as a man lying in hospital with his thoughts being narrated to you.
This is a bleak film which is worth watching for the strength of the performances in it. It is these that carry the film, here are no special effects, car chases or witty buddy scenes to lighten the mood. It is gritty and dark and centers on the emotions of the characters and the depth that the actors bring to their roles. It received two academy award nominations and five Baftas and having seen it I can understand why. Sean Penn puts in a strong performance which demonstrates just what a fine actor that he is, however for me it is Benicio Del Toro who steals the show with his portrayal of the reformed former convict who has put his faith in God only to have these beliefs shattered as he descends into a spiral of remorse which threatens to destroy h is marriage to the excellent Melissa Leo. The third character affected directly by the accident is played by Naomi Watts in a powerful role she delivers an excellent performance as she descends into a life of drug use and emotional torment driven by the need for revenge.
There is a bleakness to the scenes with some grim backdrops used to set the mood and there is an excellent use of light by the director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu to establish the mood of the film. In many of the scenes the colour appears to have been washed out to further enhance the sense of emotional turmoil that the characters are experiencing so the extent that everything else is a backdrop to the strength of performance in front of camera.
This is definitely a film worth seeing, hard hitting and extremely well acted it made a pleasant change from some of the recent offerings I have sat through. It is thought provoking and at times hard work but in the end I felt rewarded to sit through it. You just might want to consider having a half hour of Dad's Army planned at the end just to lighten the mood.
There are scenes of nudity and drug taking including one scene that the more squeamish amongst you (that includes me) might not want to watch. As a final endorsement this film did bring tears to my eyes, all say ahh.
DVD Extras
A bit limited here, there is the usual scene select and the UK movie trailer for the film.
The only thing of interest is a behind the scenes featurette which has an interview with Inarritu in which he talks about the motivation for the film and his obsession with death and its finality. It shows him giving a speech to the cast and crew on the first day of filming and it does provide some useful insights into the reasons behind the film and the reasons for the particular style that he used to convey his messages. It is worth a quick look after you have watched the film and is shot is a similarly bleak manner to continue the mood of the film.
The film is rated 15.
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Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1998 - Drama - Director: Martin Brest - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Marcia Gay Harden, Jake Weber, Claire Forlani, Jeffrey Tambor
Whether you fear death or not, it comes, and at that moment everyone loses 21 ... more
Grams...Nominated for 2 Academy Awards and 5 Baftas, 21 Grams is an intense, critically acclaimed thriller with outstanding performances from Academy Award winners Sean Penn,...
Advantages: Superb performances, interesting visuals. Disadvantages: Melodramatic storyline and a method of telling the story that makes the entire second half of the film extremely dull.
JonathanS2 02.04.2004 ·
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Review of 21 Grams (DVD)
Sep 16th, 2006
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