This afternoon I attended a screening of 21 Grams at the London Film Fest, and I have to say I was very impressed by it. I loved Amores Perros, and while I think Inarritu hasn't quite outdone himself with this film, it's still a very interesting and often powerful watch.
I don't want to give away too much of the plot, which means I can't say much past the general premise: the lives of three people (Penn, Watts and Del Toro) intersecting after a series of events. The movie is jumbled, Inarritu shuffling us around a period of what seems to be about a year. This means we have scenes of a bedridden, dishevelled Penn dying of heart disease and a healthy, smooth-talking Penn after a heart transplant right next to each other. This means that the movie rests largely on the performances, and they are by far its greatest strength. Penn is, once again, pretty fantastic. It's a more subdued performance than Jimmy Markum in Mystic River, but similar in some ways, and he has some really terrific scenes.
Naomi Watts is just fantastic, really. It's the kind of thing the academy will love (lots of screaming & crying) but also something to really appreciate--a real tour de force. All the actors are great but she stood out the most to me. Her transformation from happy mother & wife to the shell that she has become at the end is remarkable.
Benicio Del Toro, as an ex-convict who has been 'saved' by Christianity, is also excellent. In the wrong hands, the character easily could have been a total cliché, but he manages to dominate all of his scenes. He also undergoes a remarkable transformation--from that of a person empowered by his faith to one who feels forsaken by God.
There are two great supporting women though, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Melissa Leo as Penn and Del Toro's respective wives. Leo especially struck me, she's very convincing as someone becoming further alienated by her increasingly fanatic husband. Again, she lifts the role beyond the cliché it could have been.
The film's fault, as is often the case with these kinds of films, is that it is slightly contrived and melodramatic at times. Mostly the acting & script makes the character development totally believeable, but occasionally I felt that their actions struck a false note. The film weathers this, though, thanks to the performances.
The film really should be seen for the acting, because that's what makes it truly worthwhile. But it's overall a great effort from Inarritu. Can't wait to see what he produces next.
**** 1/2