21 Grams elegantly weaves the intersecting lives of three people united by death as contemplation on the significance of human life.
Benicio Del Toro is a reborn ex-con who accidentally runs down Naomi Watts' family. The death of her husband provides Sean Penn with a heart needed for a transplant.
The film has a striking look, but the rawness of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's film comes from the passionate milieu with which the cast connects. The vibe is closest to the one that writer-director Joe Carnahan presented with Narc. The disjointed plotting of 21 Grams is its most polished device, and wraps the story in circling layers punctured by the slipping intentions of its characters.
Some critics have complained about the film's bravura narrative splicing as being difficult to follow. But they miss the overall effect. This is a daring movie that deals with loss, pride, dignity, faith, and ultimately, the soul. The value of a life is an inestimable quantity that can only be inferred by the way people treat one another. 21 Grams commands a discourse that runs as a constant thread through all of humanity. The movie delivers life as a floating mysterious entity that we all share. Very few films achieve anything remotely close.