Amores Perros a.k.a Love's a bitch

Amores Perros

Since Pulp Fiction, interlinked stories have continually been used in films as a clever technique to involve convoluted tales, twists and turns. Most of these have failed to live up to a film that shouldn't be imitated. Therefore, as soon as it becomes apparent that a film has several stories overlayed, or the perspective of a single event seen by others, comparison's start to fly. This isn't to say that films like this aren't original as Amores Perros manages to convey every emotion possible into two and half hours of deeply involving screen time.

The central premise is simple. A car crash in Mexico links three central characters. Octavio (Gael García Bernal) loves his brothers wife and is desperate to escape his mundane rundown Mexican town. Valeria is a fashion model who believes looks are everything and lives in a very superficial world, and El Chivo, a run down old man with no family who carries out 'hits' for cash.

The films narrative is broken into three chapters, and focuses before and after the car crash. Although, the chapters break down the film and focus on a specific set of characters, this doesn't mean that the other characters are forgotten as soon as their piece is finished. It's amazing how the film manages to tie up all the loose ends. A very clever underlying theme of the relationships with dogs also helps this.

The acting within each segment is superb with another superb turn by Bernal (Y tu mama tabien), with the emotions portrayed by the central characters ranging from extreme anger to over-whelming happiness. Yet, they can be immediately felt by the viewing audience. Sometimes, the drama unfolding is almost too realistic, an example being continued used of 'dog baiting' which at times is impossible to see how they've actually filmed it, without injuring the dogs. As for the car crash, the director has gone for realism, over spectacle.

The film lags slightly in the middle third, and could certainly of been cut down to make it a little more fast paced. Yet, its impossible to draw yourself away from the screen , due to the connections that can be made with each of the central characters. The first chapter whizzes by yet seems to encompass so much detail, the second chapter really focuses on the helplessness of someone's life that is changed forever, and the third manages to represent how life can change for the better.

For this to be Alejandro González Iñárritu first film is incredible, and will hopefully lead onto many more films that challenge the audience to think rather than switch off. Brilliantly shot, remarkably touching, and great performances from the cast create an incredibly deep film which will hopefully keep you thinking long after the final credits roll.