A stirring 21 Grams

Three strangers brought together by one terrible twist of fate. Three lives shattered, and three anguished souls trying to somehow move on. "Who will be the first to lose his life?" is one of the opening lines of 21 Grams, and one of the persistent questions throughout the movie.

All of this might sound a little on the melodramatic side, but director Alejandro Inaritu (Amores Perros) and a talented cast make this film believable and heartfelt. 21 Grams was released several months ago, gaining minimal exposure and only playing at a handful of Washington-area theatres. However, the movie is now playing at the American Film Institute through next Sunday, March 14 as part of the Sean Penn film series.

21 Grams is a very original independent film. Shot in a gritty, hand-held style, most of the scenes are without music. Only a few sparse chords chime in at the most dramatic moments. The editing is such that most of the scenes are completely out of order, and the narrative line jumps between the three stories seemingly at random. But somehow it all works, and spectacularly. The story is surprisingly easy to follow and the hand-held style is not distracting.

The movie centers on the causes and effects of an accident that brings three very different people into intimate and painful contact. Jack Jordan (Benicio Del Toro) is an ex-con and born-again Christian trying to turn his life around and provide for his family. Jordan is a tormented man living under a thin guise of religion, sporting crucifix tattoos and a pick-up truck he swears Jesus gave to him in a raffle. Badly in need of a heart transplant, Paul Rivers (Sean Penn) is knocking on death's door, hauling an oxygen bottle along with him as he tries stubbornly to keep smoking. And Christina Peck (Naomi Watts) is a former drug addict who is finally happy with her husband and two loving daughters.

Each of their lives is bearable, to varying degrees, until the freak disaster that sends all three of them spiraling wildly out of control and into a dark abyss of love, hate, guilt and revenge. Families and marriages dissolve, new loves form and old addictions begin again as each character tries desperately to cope. The opening question soon becomes more and more pressing – which one of them will death claim first?

From its gripping start right until its surprisingly tranquil ending, 21 Grams never fails to hold one's interest. All three of the lead actors were nominated for Academy Awards this year, Watts and Del Toro for 21 Grams. A movie in which all of the leads receive Oscar nominations is rare and noteworthy, and definitely well deserved in this case. Watts' portrayal of a grieving mother struggling to cope is especially poignant and moving, and should secure her recognition as one of Hollywood's most talented stars right now. The buzz surrounding Mystic River this year drowned out Penn's role in 21 Grams, but in any other year he certainly would have been nominated for his portrayal of the dying Rivers.

21 Grams is an extraordinarily powerful look at human emotion and the events that draw us together and cleave us apart. And even though it deals with seemingly unbearable tragedies, the overall message is somehow uplifting - in some way, as twisted and painful and dark as it may feel, life goes on no matter what. Making the effort to catch 21 Grams in theatres should definitely prove worthwhile.

21 Grams is rated R for language, violence, drug use and sexuality. This movie is playing at the AFI through March 14, and will be available on DVD and video on March 16.