The Death Trilogy

The Death Trilogy

Alejandro González Iñárritu is a craftsman. Poignant portrayal of emotions, sincerity of characters, rawness, originality, intensity, gripping sequences etc are some indispensable elements of his film-making. He chooses a non-linear narrative style and does a very good job of stitching up the bits together. He ensures that what comes out is a something as good as a Tuxedo and not something in tatters. Three of his movies which explore various facets of human emotions are testament to this fact.

Amores Perros (Love is a Bitch)

First in line and also the finest, Amores Perros is a potently savage violent saga that will shake you up with its rawness and crude reality and for a debutant director, it exudes sheer class. It comprises three major plots running simultaneously and coalescing into a defining moment through a car-crash. The actors come up with stirring performances; whether its the raw vulnerability of the young Octavio(Gael García Bernal) or the rugged intensity of El Chivo(Emilio Echevarría). The sordid and dark side of human emotions and skewed morality of humans is depicted powerfully. Greed, lust, love, hate, passion and power are overpowering emotions which often distort human behavior and bring out its ugliest, darkest side and sometimes also its weaker, softer and more vulnerable side. The film depicts a wide array of emotions through various scenes, some of them in stark contrast to each other. Octavio, remorselessly gets his abusive brother beaten up without flinching once. In stark contrast, is his love for Susanna and he uses violence, money and every possible method to get to her at any cost. El Chivo is a merciless hitman who can shoot without batting an eyelid. However we get to see his more humane and softer side when he tries to reach out to his daughter, whom he had abandoned when she was a kid. Goya Toledo as Valeria the supermodel does a fine job in her depiction of a woman's fall from grace. The transition from a beautiful loving woman who attains dizzy heights of fame to the impulsive untrusting female is endearing. Meanwhile, Daniel is torn between his love for Valeria and his family which he has left behind for her. Iñárritu beautifully and smoothly handles these comparisons, contrasts and transitions in emotions; they are more gripping than touchy.

Dogs form a vital part of of all the three plots and are inter-woven in the intricate story-line. In fact, the dogs even shape-up the story; whether its the nerve-wracking bloody dog fights, the obsession with the dog who goes missing under the floor-board or the ex-guerrilla who now keeps dogs as his family. The film also shows that sometimes when humans are going through a chaotic emotional phase and distrust most of the people around them, they turn to dogs as friends.

The background music by Gustavo Santaolalla is not a mere filler. Santaolalla does a brilliant job of making the sombre air around the whole film thicker and pushes you deeper into the melanoid pit.

To sum it up, this landmark movie, not just with respect to Mexican, but World Cinema as well, is a must watch. Amores Perros is a brutal canine of a film, that will bite and make you bleed. This surely isn't puppy love but you will enjoy every bit of this rabid bite!

21 Grams

The second movie in Iñárritu's trilogy comes with the tag line- "How Much does Life Weigh". The various stories in this intense movie try to answer this question. Emotions, love, hatred, remorse, loss, life, birth, death are classically non-tangible entities. How much do they weigh? How do they shape our lives, our actions, our decisions?

Iñárritu, like his first movie again uses the non-linear narrative style with hyperlinks. This movie too revolves around human emotions, their actions and the consequences- sometimes life-altering. The film boasts of a powerful cast comprising Naomi Watts, Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro. Emotions are again the focal point of this movie and the cast does a brilliant task of emoting on screen and getting into the skin of their characters. Oscar Nominations for Watts and Del Toro were fully justified

This movie too has a 3 plot design, but this time, the plots are more over-lapping. Iñárritu again uses an automobile accident as the concurrent point and how it sets the three main protagonists on a path where their destinies will collide.

Leading the cast from the front is Naomi Watts as Cristina, who excels in her role as a woman who loses her entire family in a brutal twist of fate. The fatal accident delivers a bludgeoning blow which again sets her on the path of drugs and alcohol. Watts beautifully depicts the emotional upheaval of a woman who has to cope with this irreparable loss. Intensity comes effortlessly to Sean Penn. He plays Paul Rivers, a man who is struggling with a fatal heart condition, and whose fate becomes tied to Cristina's (Watts) as he gets the heart of her husband in a transplant. Benicio del Toro as Jack Jordan plays the remorseful reformed convict and stirs you up with his intense portrayal of a man who gains faith only to lose it again when he ends up over-running a family in the accident. River (Penn) is drawn to Cristina (Watts) and ultimately becomes the source for her reprisal and a part of her quest for vengeance.

The movie isn't a thriller or edge of the seat story of a woman's revenge, so it doesn't progress at a fast pace. However the emotions of the characters are strong enough to keep you engaged.

Watch this movie for its emotions and intensity!!

P.S.- Was wondering if a movie DVD weighs 21 grams too :P

Babel

The third and final instalment in the death trilogy isn't as sparkling as the first one. It however has its fair share of moments which make watching it a worthwhile experience. Babel comprises four stories across four countries : Morocco, Japan, Mexico and the United States. This time around, Iñárritu chooses to divert from his favorite non-linear narrative style and follows a more sequential, chronological approach. As a director, Iñárritu strongest point is bringing out the emotions of his characters and making sure that they connect to the audience, in both associative and non associative fashion. Babel tries to stick to that philosophy.

Running in parallel plots, the one story which stands out and deserves a standing ovation is the one based in Japan. Rinko Kikuchi as the deaf and mute Japanese teenage girl Chieko Wataya rules the roost. This performance has the capacity to enthral audiences and infact floor them even if they have minimalistic levels of Emotional Intelligence. One of the most brilliants sequences in the movie is when Wataya visits a night club and the audio keeps switching between a full blast of music and mute(as seen from a third person's perspective and as seen from Wataya's perspective).

Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett as the couple struggling with their relation have rudimentary roles.

Morocco

The Moroccan setting is rugged and realistic and the young kids who play brothers do a great job, considering they are non-professional actors.

Adriana Barraza as the care-taker of Pitt's children emotes perfectly and does a fine smooth job.

Not as gripping as the first two in the series, Babel still makes it mark and deserves to be seen if you are a fan of Alejandro González Iñárritu !!!

This post is an entry to the Reel-Life Bloggers contest organized by wogma.com andreviewgang.com