21 Grams

2003

21 Grams

Critics Consensus

Alejandro González Iñárritu deftly weaves an uncommonly structured narrative with panache in 21 Grams, a stylish, haunting drama full of fine performances.

80%

TOMATOMETER

Reviews Counted: 183

86%
liked it

Audience Score

User Ratings: 210,455

TOMATOMETER

N/A
All Critics | Top Critics
Average Rating: N/A
Reviews Count: 0
Fresh: 0
Rotten: 0

AUDIENCE SCORE

86%
Average Rating: 3.6/5

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Movie Info

College professor Paul Rivers and his wife Mary find their union precariously balanced between life and death. He is mortally ill and awaiting a heart transplant, while she hopes to become pregnant with his child through artificial insemination. Cristina Peck, having matured since her reckless past, is a beloved older sister to Claudia, a good wife to Michael and loving mother to two little girls. Her family radiates hope and joy. Much farther down the socioeconomic scale, ex-con Jack Jordan and his wife Marianne struggle to provide for their two children while Jack reaffirms his commitment to religion. A tragic accident that claims several lives places these couples in each other's orbit. In the aftermath, Paul confronts his own mortality, Cristina takes action to come to terms with her present and perhaps her future, and Jack's faith is put to the test. If spiritual equilibrium is to be regained by any one of them, it could come at great cost to the others. Yet the will to live, and the instinct to reach out to another person for support, remains ever present among them all.

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Cast

Sean Penn
as Paul Rivers
Naomi Watts
as Cristina Peck
Benicio Del Toro
as Jack Jordan
Charlotte Gainsbourg
as Mary Rivers
Melissa Leo
as Marianne Jordan
Clea DuVall
as Claudia Williams
Danny Huston
as Michael
Carly Nahon
as Katie
Claire Pakis
as Laura
Nick Nichols
as Boy
John Rubinstein
as Gynecologist
Eddie Marsan
as Reverend John
Loyd Keith Salter
as Fat Man
Antef A. Harris
as Basketball Guy
Marc Musso
as Freddy
Teresa Delgado
as Gina
Terry Dee Draper
as Guard
Tony Guyton
as Guard No. 2
Wayne E. Beech Jr.
as Inmate No. 1
Keith Lamont Johnson
as Inmate No. 2
David Chattam Jr.
as Caddie No. 1
John Boyd West
as Caddie No. 2
Jeff Schmidt
as Caddie No. 3
Tony Vaughn
as Al
Paul Calderon
as Brown
Denis O'Hare
as Dr. Rothberg
Anastasia Herin
as Dolores
Carlo Alban
as Lucio
Hai Quang Tran
as Cashier
Annie Corley
as Trish
Sharon Bishop
as Receptionist
Jerry Chipman
as Cristina's Father
Tom Irwin
as Dr. Jones
Roberto Medina
as Dr. Molina
Arita Trahan
as Dr. Badnews
Rodney Ingle
as Barman
Catherine Dent
as Ana
Kevin Chapman
as Alan
Randall Hartzog
as Friend No. 1
Verda Davenport-Booher
as Friend No. 2
Dorothy Armstrong-Miles
as Female Friend No. 1
Barclay Roberts
as Male Friend No. 1
Lisa Sanchez
as Wife
Stephen Bridgewater
as P.I.
Michael Finnell
as Fat Prisoner
Juan Corrigan
as Valet
Charlie B. Brown
as Night Guard
Arron Shiver
as Young Doctor
Pamela Blair
as Doctor
Jennifer Pfalzgraff
as Nurse
Lew Temple
as County Sheriff
Tricia Branch
as Skinny Woman
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News & Interviews for 21 Grams

Benicio Del Toro’s 10 Best Movies
Definitive Naomi Watts Performances
Charlize Theron to Visit "The Burning Plain"
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Critic Reviews for 21 Grams

All Critics (183) | Top Critics (40)

View All Critic Reviews (183)

Audience Reviews for 21 Grams

Well acted but incredibly downbeat movie is a hard watch.

jay nixon
jay nixon

Super Reviewer

I do enjoy films that employ interwoven storylines and movies that feature non-linear narratives. Sometimes, I like films that employ both. However, I don't like all films like that, or think that all films that use such techniques need to be done that way. This is one of those films. This is a look at the lives of three broken people: a feverishly born again ex-con, a critically ill college professor, and a housewife with a tainted past. Their lives intersect following a bad car accident, and the films looks at their lives before, during, and after the crash, examining the consequences of things, and the interplay that goes on between them. This is some intereting stuff, and I didn't mind that it was downbeat and depressing as all hell; I just didn't care for the jarring editing or feel that this needed to be told out of chronological order. It really seemed to have no other purpose than to tell a story in a unique way or to be interesting. That doesn't work when this sort of thing is old hat and the way it is done doesn't make things more interesting. It really just makes things seem jumbled and fractured, and not in a good way. At least the story arcs are rather engaging, and the film has decent characters played by wonderful actors who give some compelling and great performances. My favorite was definitely Del Toro, though Watts gives a bold and courageous performance, while Penn seemed more low key though still commanding and powerful. I could have used a bit more Leo and definitely some more DuVall, but at least we got to see them at all. The film brings up some interesting concepts and has a lot of nice things to offer, but I think it would have fared far better had they just played it straight. Doing something like this seemingly just for the sake of it takes away all of the powerful that the thing had in the first place, kinda like using Dutch angles without really understanding why they're effective when used properly. So yeah, this film is decent, and has its moments, but it's a mess and doesn't hold up as being as strong as it should have been, so I'm on the fence, but mostly leaning towards a thumbs up.

Chris Weber
Chris Weber

Super Reviewer

½

I love this style of film. I was almost lost during a few scenes, but at the end some of the loose ends were connected and it really turned this film around for me. What a story! Excellent performances from Penn, Del Toro, and Watts, as well as Charlotte Gainsbourg and Melissa Leo. Del Toro definitely deserved their Oscar nominations. Great direction also from Inarritu; it takes a lot to direct such an intertwined film as this, but he delivers. Excellent film, one of the best of 2003!

Jameson Worley
Jameson Worley

Super Reviewer

'21 Grams'. Bleak, utterly depressing, and completely mesmerising. Naomi Watts, Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn all turned in fantastic performances, with Watts my stand-out, and the nonlinear telling of this tale worked well in creating a sense of dread over and over.

c0up  
c0up  

Super Reviewer

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