21 Grams
I haven’t been titillated by a movie concept in ages. A story I heard on NPR about 21 Grams has me anticipating its wide release (currently it’s only showing in NYC and L.A.). Listen to the All Things Considered story. As an added bonus, Benicio Del Toro is featured in this film. Oh man, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu done good.
In a nutshell, here’s the story:
Starring Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Benicio Del Toro, “21 Grams” links various characters to a single, random car crash. One of the principal figures is a brutish ex-con (Del Toro) who tattoos religion onto his skin and threatens others who don’t adhere to his dogmatic principles. Another central figure (Watts), traumatized by the deaths of loved ones, seeks comfort in murdering their killer. Others are also swept up by raw emotions. It’s a template for drama and disaster.
According to this story in the San Fran Chronicle, Inarritu has made a film profoundly influenced by 9/11. The effects seep not as much directly or blatantly into the plot, but more into the underlying theme that tragedy affects us on an individual level as well as on a national level–this describes the aftermath of 9/11 pretty well.
What does the title mean, you ask? 21 grams is the weight of the mass that leaves the body upon death. It is said to signify the soul leaving the body. For a commercial release, this film’s heady concept is impressive. (And how hot is Benicio?)
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By Neejay Manly, April 25, 2004 @ 12:02 am
i just saw this movie today and i thought it was great. the idea of the film was like no other film i had seen befoe. i also thought the way it was edited and the way the story was told was great as well. at first i was confused put the pieces of the film came together very nicley. it was great