21 Grams details
| Formats: | 15 DVD, Blu-ray |
|---|---|
| Starring: | Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Naomi Watts, Benicio Del Toro |
| Directors: | Alejandro Gonzalez, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu |
| Genres: | Drama - Crime, Mystery, Thriller - General, Psychological |
| Studio: | ICON HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Name | Discs | |
|---|---|---|
21 Grams |
15 Feature |
DVD Information
| Run time: | 2 hours 5 minutes |
|---|---|
| Rental release: | 13 Sep 2004 |
| Main languages: | English |
Write your own review
Most helpful review
21 Grams weighs heavy on the mind
By Ewan from Glasgow , 04 Nov 2004[Highly rated reviewer]
This is a brilliant film with superb acting, a strong storyline and is definitely one to be watched. The main drawback is the initial half hour or so, where we find ourselves thrust head-first into the narrative. The editing techniques are a bit over-the-top, jumping between the main characters, showing them at different points in time, and consequently it becomes quite difficult to tell when these events are actually taking place. It really does require a lot of brainpower early on!
I would recommend that, ultimately it is worth the initial effort spent, as everything begins to unfold and come together quite nicely. The acting by Penn, Watts and Del Toro is exceptional, and they certainly are a pivotal reason as to why this film works.
Not one if you?re looking for a bit of light entertainment, but if you?re looking for something that bit heavier, then 21 Grams is the film for you.- Was this review helpful to you?
- (71) Yes |
- No (21)
All reviews
(490)Unravelling the Plot
By Grenville (26 reviews) , 12 May 2013This was a difficult film to watch but ultimately rewarding, held together by strong performnces from its leading characters. It is confusing at the start, but well worth sticking with.- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
Concentration needed
By cantibemyself (49 reviews) from Northallerton , 18 Dec 2012[Highly rated reviewer]
Don't watch this if you're drunk or tired. Concentration is needed as the story jumps between the 3 main characters and different times. Eventually you work out what's going on and it becomes a reasonably good movie.- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (1)
A film like no other
By Platospupil (195 reviews) , 25 Oct 2012This is not a perfect film. But for those who go on about the non-chronological order and the lack of single narrative, I see the problem but have no sympathy with the view. This is a film which invites the watcher to grow up. This is an adult film, a film which invites and is clever enough to use Roshomon-like multiple perspective. It recognises the fractured nature of human life (she/he who sees their lives as a straight line of causation misses an important stage on the path to unity), and takes the willing audience on a harrowing and deeply human trajectory. If you are unwilling or cynical you will detect melodrama, if your sympathy is fully engaged you will go with the trajectory, picking up many other trajectories on the way, not to redemption or anything as simple as closure but to other qualities. I think the audience is allowed to find and revere these for themselves. My inner emotions were of respect, compassion and transcendence. Brilliant.- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
I was looking forward to an interesting story---and I was sorely disappointed.
By roncoach (365 reviews) from suffolk , 15 Oct 2012I give it 2 stars which is the definition of 'disappointing' because I was ermmmmm disappointed.
I've always liked Sean Penn and I was expecting a good film. It didn't appear.
I liked the summary of the storyline when I read it, and looked forward to it translated onto the screen. It didn't happen.
I thought it had potential to rise above the average film. It didn't.
The film was confusing in places, fashbacks, flashforwards, disjointed. The script could have done with some tidying up, the direction was sloppy, the acting ranged from good to bad, the ending was unsatisfactory-----so was much of the beginning and middle.
Nope, not for me. I hope Sean Penn finds better vehicles as he ages now ; on the basis of this, we may sadly have seen the end of him. Pity-----he was the only good thing about this disappointing movie, but he couldn't really do anything to save it from oblivion.- Was this review helpful to you?
- (1) Yes |
- No (1)
If only it had been told chronologically
By Gray2 (198 reviews) , 21 Aug 2012This is a powerful story, well acted. It involves three families and the curious connection between them. First there's a man who died (and whose widow donated his heart). Then there's the man who received said heart, and tracked down the donor's widow. And thirdly there's the man who caused the accident that resulted in the donor's death in the first place. All sorts of interesting issues are raised in this film, especially from the fact that the 'killer' is a born again Christian who feels the need to turn himself in; but his family preferred him the way he was before conversion! So this would be one of the best films ever if only the story were told in sequence, leading up to its dramatic conclusion. But the director decided to mix the scenes up (evidently he justifies this on the basis that this is how we remember stories in real life). This makes it so hard to follow. I thought at one point that there'd been two car crashes but there hadn't. I thought the transplant patient's new heart had failed and he was being told he'd need a new one, but no this too was a flashback. In my humble opinion, this movie is totally ruined by jumbling up the scenes like this. Even captions (e. g. 'one year earlier') would have helped!- Was this review helpful to you?
- (2) Yes |
- No (1)
