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21 Grams (2003)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Guillermo Arriaga (written by)
Release Date:
26 December 2003 (USA)
more
Tagline:
Difference between dead and life more
Plot:
A freak accident brings together a critically ill mathematician (Penn), a grieving mother (Watts) and a born-again ex-con (Del Toro). full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Faith
|
Mathematician
|
Guilt
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Ex Convict
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Born Again
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Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars.
Another 20 wins
&
34 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(13 articles)
Watts Failed To Hide Pregnancy from Director's Sister
(From WENN. 14 September 2007)
Inarritu: "US Is Obsessed With Power"
(From WENN. 25 May 2006)
(From WENN. 14 September 2007)
Inarritu: "US Is Obsessed With Power"
(From WENN. 25 May 2006)
User Comments:
Esotercat's Riveting Review of "21 Grams"
more (508 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Sean Penn | ... | Paul Rivers | |
| Naomi Watts | ... | Cristina Peck | |
| Danny Huston | ... | Michael | |
| Carly Nahon | ... | Cathy | |
| Claire Pakis | ... | Laura | |
| Benicio Del Toro | ... | Jack Jordan | |
| Nick Nichols | ... | Boy | |
| Charlotte Gainsbourg | ... | Mary Rivers | |
| John Rubinstein | ... | Gynecologist | |
| Eddie Marsan | ... | Reverend John | |
| Loyd Keith Salter | ... | Fat Man | |
| Antef A. Harris | ... | Basketball Guy | |
| Melissa Leo | ... | Marianne Jordan | |
| Marc Musso | ... | Freddy (as Marc Thomas Musso) | |
| Teresa Delgado | ... | Gina |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for language, sexuality, some violence and drug use.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
124 min
Country:
Language:
Colour:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
USA:R (certificate #40185) |
Portugal:M/16 |
Malaysia:(Banned) |
Argentina:16 |
Australia:MA |
Brazil:16 |
Canada:13+ (Quebec) |
Canada:18A |
Chile:14 |
Finland:K-15 |
France:-12 |
Germany:12 |
Hong Kong:III |
Iceland:16 |
Ireland:18 |
Japan:PG-12 |
Mexico:B15 |
Netherlands:16 |
New Zealand:R16 |
Norway:15 |
Philippines:R-18 |
South Korea:18 |
Spain:18 |
Sweden:11 |
Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) |
Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) |
UK:15 |
Singapore:R(A) |
Singapore:M18 (DVD rating)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The film was shot almost completely with hand-held cameras.
more
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: When the Private Investigator gives Paul the revolver, he flips it open to show that it is loaded. He then spins the cylinder and we hear a ratcheting sound. When a revolver is open, there is no ratchet mechanism connected to the cylinder...it rotates freely and silently.
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Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "ER: 21 Guns (#12.22)" (2006)
more
Soundtrack:
Some Devil
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (508 total)
Message Boards
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Some movies are like a novel. Some movies are like a poem. Some films have flashbacks and flash-forwards. Some, like `Memento,' stretch the boundaries of convention and take wild risks such as moving the drama from the end to the beginning. `21Grams' is a cinematic poetic explosion, shaking all the pieces hard as hell, and then tossing them in the air to fall at random. Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, he gives the audience the puzzle unraveled, demanding that we piece together the story from interlaced past, present and future events. It is part flashy gimmick, part artistic mastery, but always compelling.
This is not a film for either the faint of heart or lazy of mind. Nor is it for those who become frustrated by film that dares to step outside the linear plot and paint-by-numbers formula. The mishmash of past/present/future is allegorical in the sense that we all carry our past, all hinge our hearts on the future, and all struggle with a `present' as dotty and haunted as this film so wildly illustrates.
In `21 Grams' it is required that the viewer surrender. As in life, there is no control. I must admit that I became a bit antsy and pressed for answers when none were being provided. You are riveted by events and players that intermingle in a haphazard mishmash of time with a rebellious lack of structure. You can either go with the flow-or back out to your car. Since I saw only one person exit the theater, for any reason, in the 125 minutes running time, I conclude that the fully occupied theater was as riveted as I was, even to the point of extreme bladder control.
The performances are stunning. Sean Penn is always good, Benicio Del Toro solidifies his Oscar, and Naomi Watts is the big talent to watch. Her emotional honesty is beyond acting-I believed her to feel the pain she displayed.
The `plot' almost seems inconsequential. The film is about the depth of human feeling in our brief interplay between living and dying. It's about damnation and redemption, revenge and forgiveness, surrender and salvation. It offers no explanations. It merely illustrates the human experience in a trenchant manner that makes us aware that every minute of every day is a precarious drama that we look upon more lightly than we should. The dramatic cortex is the human heart-lost, gained, tormented, anguished and confused. The metaphorical context is the fleeting nature of each heart's temporal beat and our desperately valiant struggle to flesh out our mortal hearts' desires.