(Rated R) From the moment it opens minus any gimmicks, the story tosses us into the tale of a somewhat confusing yet cohesive force, inter-cutting grainy-filmed scenes of three lives brought together by tragedy. Benicio DelToro is a man living with the guilt from a traffic accident. Sean Penn is a heart-transplant patient living with the guilt of how he received it, while Naomi Watts is a grieving mother. Through life, through death, through God’s will, fate can come in the form of loss. 21 Grams is the amount a person loses at the time of death. But is 21 Grams the weight of their soul or is it their soul that remains with the living? Or maybe 21 Grams is the passion lost by those left living in mourning. All of these options are explored. The three stars and supporting cast (Charlotte Gainsbourg as DelToro’s desperate wife) are excellent despite Director Alejandro Gonzalez’s approach that is both interesting and awkward. The odd cut of scenes when unfathomable information is delivered, never quite allows the audience to penetrate their emotions as we move from one atrocity to the next.
