Directed by:
Alejandro González IñárrituScreenplay:
Guillermo ArriagaCinematography:
Rodrigo PrietoComposer:
Gustavo SantaolallaCast:
Emilio Echevarría, Gael García Bernal, Goya Toledo, Álvaro Guerrero, Vanessa Bauche, Humberto Busto, Rosa María Bianchi, Adriana Barraza (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
Told in three separate chapters--OCTAVIO AND SUSANA, DANIEL AND VALERIA, and EL CHIVO AND MARU--the film deals with love in the lives of several individuals residing in modern day Mexico City. Octavio (Gael Garcia Bernal) has fallen in love with his brother's wife, Susana (Vanessa Bauche). He begins entering his dog in illegal dogfights in order to save up enough money to run away with her, but eventually learns a powerful lesson when she fails to keep her word. Meanwhile, Daniel (Alvaro Guerrero) has left his wife and daughters for the gorgeous model Valeria (Goya Toledo), but when she is hurt badly in a car accident, the strain on their relationship is stretched to its limits. Finally, El Chivo (Emilio Echevarria) is an ex-revolutionary who has become a paid assassin. Saddened that he has lost all contact with his daughter, he takes one final stand when an intended act of kindness turns brutally tragic. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (9)
Iñárritu has directing down to a science again, interweaving a trio of intricate stories with such dexterity as if he's been doing nothing but running with a camera through the urban jungle since birth. I can only point out to two big weaknesses in this outing, namely that he plays too much for effect in some places, giving up his captivating authenticity as a result, and then things get quite boring at the end and, due to the exorbitant runtime, there’s nothing that would break the viewer out of their lethargy. I liked the first two stories and generally enjoyed how beautifully everything was working out for Alejandro, but on the other hand I was very disappointed that the most interesting passage about the hitman went completely to waste, as did the attempt at emotional softening at the end. It's a very good film no doubt, probably worth the 150 minutes, but nothing groundbreaking or outright unusual. At least it showed what an untouchable ruler Pulp Fiction is in this circle of films. 75%
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Just like Denmark has Lars Von Trier and Sweden has Lasse Hallström, Mexican cinema also has its number one: Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu. He has maintained his directorial style even in Hollywood, and that was the key to his success. But here it bothered me with an excessive running time. The technical execution, on the other hand, it's a blast again.
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I consider the first story to be an example of perfect filmmaking craftsmanship and I considered Alejandro González Iñárritu a genius while I watched it, someone whom I would confidently entrust any subject because his visual ideas and alternation of contrasts are absolutely flawless. My enthusiasm faded after the remaining two stories, which are not bad, just not as disturbing or captivating for the viewer's senses as the first one, and instead focus on gradual psychological development of the characters. Unfortunately, most of the time it's a bit too gradual, and almost tedious.
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I’ve grown suspiciously fond of the type of films where various individual storylines intersect at one point. I enjoyed the film even twenty years after its creation, not even noticing its terrifyingly long runtime. I wasn't bored at all, only my original excitement was replaced by a much more sober approach (well, technically, I was sober even the first time I saw it).
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A great film that initially seems like it couldn't be about love at all, but in reality, it's love that drives all the characters into situations that are very tragic for them, or at least for someone else. An incredibly powerful film that, even after years, shows me that those first impressions don't fade but keep repeating.
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