 |
Supermodel Valeria (Goya Toledo) experiences a
change in her life after a traffic accident in Amores
Perros.
|
Below the rooftops of Mexico City is where first-time filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu puts his storytelling. Seldom has a debut filmmaker exploded onto the world cinema stage with such ferocity. On the basis of one feature, the dazzling Amores Perros, González Iñárritu assumes the status of a world-class director. Amores Perros is that impressive.
It's significant how the film's key drama explodes in visceral fashion. Two speeding cars collide into an explosion of broken glass and crunching metal. The scene is bloody. Actually, the scene already was bloody. A dog lay bleeding from a gunshot wound in the backseat of one of the cars. In the earthy Amores Perros, bloodletting is a constant companion to the action.
Three separate stories are connected in Amores Perros by a Mexico City car crash. In "Octavio & Susana," the film's first segment, a young man named Octavio (Gael Garciá Bernal) enters his dog in a series of illegal dogfights to raise enough money to run off with his brother's wife, Susana (Vanessa Bauche). But Octavio's plan for a new life with his sister-in-law quickly turns sour. When a rival dog owner tries to permanently end Octavio's winning streak of dogfights, the resulting car chase serves as the film's dramatic centerpiece.
The second segment, "Daniel & Valeria," tells the story of a middle-aged businessman (Alvaro Guerrero) who leaves his wife and two daughters to live with a beautiful model (Goya Toledo). But their newfound romance is changed dramatically by Octavio's speeding car.
Finally, in the film's final and best segment, "El Chivo & Maru," a former revolutionary (Emilio Echevarría) lives on society's fringe as a hired killer. But his assassin's life takes a turn after he witnesses Octavio's horrible traffic accident. Suddenly, El Chivo is filled with remorse for past decisions and the daughter he left behind.
Love-gone-wrong is the overriding theme of Amores Perros. The topic makes sense once you realize that the film's title loosely translates to "Love's a Bitch." Its broken-heart messages aside, Amores Perros stands out as a daring film. It's impressive how González Iñárritu juggles his three stories deftly. He connects the plots together into one dramatic spider web. The dialogue is lifelike. The characters feel real and true. It's no wonder that Amores Perros packs such a powerful punch. The film's melodrama is kept realistic by balancing moments of heartache with street violence. Granted, the dogfights are difficult to watch. The dogfight rings are stained with blood; Octavio and his fellow owners frequently wash the blood off the dogs' fur.
Everything is intentionally brutal. In Amores Perros, shattered love affairs leave permanent scars on wayward romantics like Octavio and Valeria.
"I'm in trouble," Susana tells Octavio. "I'm pregnant again." But her trouble offers Octavio a plan.
"Come away with me," he tells her. "Let's go away."
In Octavio's world, happiness would be as simple as buying a 1981 Grand Marquis. It would be as easy as filling a suitcase with money and heading to the bus terminal. But Amores Perros reminds us that some people just aren't destined for happiness, no matter how hard they try.
Amores Perros, nominated for this year's Best Foreign Film Academy Award, is one of those rare dramas that is authentically epic. Its 153-minute length passes quickly. Each story is deftly told. Initial comparisons to Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction are understandable since Amores Perros also bends its narrative through its ensemble plot. Still, Amores Perros stands on its own merits. Any Tarantino references quickly fade in light of González Iñárritu's own sense of storytelling bravado.
Already, there is some controversy over the possible mishandling of dogs during the film's production. While completely safe and legitimate, I think the dogfighting scenes are supposed to appear cruel. The bloodletting is what allows the dogs to become a powerful metaphor for each of the film's wayward characters. In fact, I would argue that the dogs are the spiritual heart of González Iñárritu's complex ensemble drama. The dogs are what allow each of the film's characters to be linked together by tragic irony. Through the dogs, we truly begin to understand the fate of each character.
González Iñárritu unloads plenty of cinematic tricks in Amores Perros. There are quick cuts and speeded-up images. But the film's edgy style fails to make much of an overall impact. Amores Perros stands out because of its ability to tell a complex story. More importantly, González Iñárritu emerges as one of first great filmmakers of this new decade, and not because of his flashy technique. He's a rising talent solely because of his ability to pull powerful performances and build credible human drama.
Before Amores Perros, González Iñárritu was a popular Mexico City DJ. Now, thanks to the success of Amores Perros, he's one of world film's emerging storytellers. It's what should happen to someone who makes such a dazzling debut. (Unrated.)
CityBeat grade: A.
