Today’s quick review: 21 Grams. Jack Jordan (Benicio del Toro), an ex-convict and family man, tries to piece his life back together with the help of his wife Marianne (Melissa Leo) and his church. Paul Rivers (Sean Penn) clings to his fraying marriage to Mary (Charlotte Gainsbourg) as he awaits a heart transplant that could save his life. Cristina Peck (Naomi Watts) turns to drugs to help her cope with a crippling loss.
21 Grams is a crime drama about an accident that ties together the lives of three struggling families. 21 Grams is a mystery that unfolds in non-chronological order. The film drip-feeds the audience scenes from before and after the accident, slowly laying out the pieces of a compelling and deeply personal puzzle. The result is a polished and well-scoped story about grief, love, forgiveness, and the consequences of even minor choices.
21 Grams draws its strength from the depth of its characters and the way its scenes interconnect. The film has a way of making even ordinary events engaging. Even its most mundane scenes pull triple duty, developing the characters, seeding questions for later, and drawing the audience deeper into the film. Deft writing and thematic connections tie the film together even more, and the whole thing is grounded in a spate of strong performances.
21 Grams tells a complex story in a fascinating way. Viewers who are looking for something more upbeat, less challenging, or simply more grandiose may find that the film does not suit their tastes. But viewers who are open to something mature, introspective, and dramatically weighty will find 21 Grams to be well worth puzzling over. How much you get out of its story will come down to taste, but it is well worth a watch for those interested.
For a moving romantic drama drama that explores similar themes, try 7 Pounds. For another experiment in nonlinear storytelling, try Cloud Atlas or Memento. For a similar drama about intertwining personal stories, try Crash.
[7.6 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0315733/). I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for potent drama.