On his deathbed, Paul (Sean Penn) considers the concept that, “we all lose 21 grams at the exact moment of death.” It is this theory that gives this film its title, but not exactly its substance. The story is built on a marginally plausible intertwining of three lives: Paul, a mathematician; Christina (Naomi Watts), a substance-abusing suburban homemaker and Jack (Benicio Del Toro), a born-again ex-con. Death and its aftermath of grief, revenge, and guilt are the forces that unite them.
After a confusing first act, 21 Grams opens into a more accessible film. Though filmed chronologically, the movie unfolds in a deliberately jumbled manner, as though the viewer has tipped out the contents of a jigsaw puzzle box and then must hunt to piece together the sections. This technique has been used effectively in many contemporary films (Memento, Pulp Fiction) but here the cuts are so jarring, and some of the clips so brief, that the viewer ends up focussing on the pieces rather than the picture for the movie’s first 30-minutes.
There are two key events that change the lives of Paul, Christina and Jack; both are violent and irreversible. As the bigger picture unfolds, the viewer begins to understand more about how these events affect people who were already deeply flawed and emotionally damaged. Their children, spouses, friends and lovers are also touched by re-birth; one man faces a new life after a vital transplant and another tries to find a new life through eternal salvation.
Tension is built into the film through hand-held camera work and non-traditional sound effects — rather than a sweeping score, an airplane engine roars overhead. The filmmakers used everything in their power to make this film feel dirty and rough — from grainy film stock and offbeat developing techniques, to scouting grungy locations and costume design that includes greasy hair. Breaking into this relentless grime is a haunting score by Gustavo Santaolalla and some inspired cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto. Two notable scenes bookend the energy of the film — a flock of birds flies into the morning sky near the beginning of the film, and leaves flutter down through the dusk toward its conclusion.
The violence, sex and drug use that appear casually as part of the lives of these characters earned 21 Grams an R-rating in the United States. The performances by Penn, Watts and Del Toro are raw, honest and well-deserving of the awards they have gathered. Melissa Leo also deserves kudos for her portrayal of Jack’s wife, desperately trying to hold together a family. Unfortunately, the film’s lack of continuity makes it difficult to care about any of the characters – a weakness that will certainly turn many people away from this movie.
