Three stories of life along the margins in Mexico City converge in this inventive thriller. Octavio is sharing an apartment with his brother, which leads to a serious problem when he falls in love with Susanna, his sister-in-law. Octavio and Susanna want to run away together, but Octavio has no money. He does, however, know a man who stages dog fights, and he volunteers his dog Cofi for the next round of fights. Cofi bravely rises to the occasion, but the dog's success in the ring leads to a
violent altercation. Elsewhere, Daniel, a successful publishing magnate, leaves his family to take up with a beautiful model, Valeria. Valeria, however, soon loses a leg in an auto accident, and as Daniel tends to her needs, her tiny pet dog gets trapped under the floorboards of their apartment. And finally, El Chivo (Emilio Echeverria) is an elderly homeless man who is trying to contact his daughter, whom he hasn't seen in years. Desperate for money, El Chivo is hired by a businessman to assassinate his partner; however, as he's following his target, he's interrupted by an auto accident, from which Octavio and his injured dog stagger in search of help. Amores Perros (aka Love's a Bitch) was the debut from director Alexandro Gonzalez Inarritu. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga and director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu exert such control over the story that even a cute doggie disappearance develops into a toilet-trained take on "The Telltale Heart." Warts and all, "Amores Perros" is love, actually.
... it is a hyperviolent movie against violence; a graphic portrayal of infidelity in the name of marriage; a tale of murderous sibling rivalry in the name of family.
Amores Perros signals the bold, audacious, fiercely human and ultra-violent feature directorial debut of Inarritu, a gifted Mexican director bound to make a mark on international cinema.
Recalling Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction - but edgier than both - this is a hell of a first film. For all its bonecrunching savagery, it's also a fundamentally moral work.
It is that rarest of features that shows a deep understanding of people, truly cinematic storytelling technique and brilliantly choreographed fight and chase scenes.
Astonishingly powerful debut film from director Inarritu - brilliantly shot, superbly acted and deeply heartfelt, this is one of the best films of the year.
It's good and good-looking and features one of the best soundtracks in years ... but it's also slick and schematic, weak on feeling and overly indebted to Tarantino.
Love's A Bitch is a multi-layered and well-articulated mock to humanity's understanding of loyalty. Violent and profound. Aggressive and cruel. Prodigious.
"Amores Perros" is the mesmerizing directorial debut from Alejandro González Iñárritu. The film is fiercely affecting and involving. Iñárritu's handle over the pacing of his three interlaced short stories is invigorating. The character's in Iñárritu's world only know one currency- violence. No matter if the intentions
are good, bad or a combination, each exchange stems from violence. This idea fleshes out the existential aspects of the narrative and adds an almost noirish touch. After all, the world these people inhabit is centerless and out of control, just like any good noir story. For all it's graphic, horrendous violence, "Amores Perros" is an outstanding film that's gripping and thought provoking and well worth serious attention.
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