21 Grams

Some weak dialogue and an overly long runtime detract slightly from this otherwise excellent work by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Amores Perros). Sean Penn, Charlotte Gainsbourg (yes, Serge’s daughter!), Naomi Watts and Benicio Del Toro all turn in amazing performances in this unconventional narrative about three people who are brought together by a traffic accident. Told in flashbacks and flash-forwards, the mystery of the plot expends itself in about 90 minutes. With two hours of run time, the final segments seem a bit gratuitous, but still, more than worthwhile for the strong performances, gritty cinematography and well-drawn story.