21 Grams is a dark, gloomy look at the bizarre nature of human relationships. Sean Penn--looking like he walked right off the set of Mystic River and into this flick, is Paul Rivers. He needs a heart transplant. Naomi Watts is Christina Peck, who's family is involved a traffic accident, and Benicio del Toro is Jack Jordan, a born again ex-con, who is responsible for the accident.

        The story is told in a non-linear fashion--my favorite style of delivery. Scenes from the beginning, the middle, and the end are thrown together in what looks like random order to the viewer, but may not necessarily be. Hence you see Sean Penn in varying stages of health from death's door to walking around just fine in back-to-back scenes. It's disconcerting at first, but soon falls into place as the clues add up and the viewer can work out what is to come.

        We have a pretty clear idea that someone will die. The movie's title, 21 Grams, refers to the amount of weight a body loses at the moment of death.

        21 Grams is a moody affair, everything is dark and gloomy, including the story. The sun never shines in this movie, giving it a distinctively foreign feel, likely due to its Mexican director Alejandro Inarritu.

        What is most interesting about this movie, however, is the characterization. Penn, Watts, and del Toro each play characters that aren't particularly likeable, yet not completely abhorrent. In a remarkably realistic and un-movie-like move, each character displays a complex balance of strength and weakness. I'm not sure I liked any of the characters, but I didn't particularly care for any either.

        The melodrama of the story coupled with the flawed characters makes the film difficult to swallow at times. However, the non-linear presentation stops viewers from wallowing in the tragic as they are forced to exert effort to work out what on earth makes the story tick. It's rather a nice trick in a very powerful movie.

        If nothing else, I like a movie where actors get to show their stuff. Watts, Del Toro, and Penn are masters in the craft and 21 Grams gives them wonderful opportunity to show what they can do. It's a very strong product.

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