Tuesday, 1 April 2014
Cast: Gael García Bernal, Goya Toledo, Emilio Echevarría
Amores Perros is a Mexican film released in 2000 with the English title “Love’s a bitch”. This film is often compared to Pulp Fiction because of the non-linear style of storytelling. But let’s not go there; instead we should admire Amores Perros for its own substance; It is director Alejandro González Iñárritu's first film.
It is the story of three people living three totally different lives and how they connect because of a car accident. These characters belong to the rich socialites to the working middle class to the homeless tramps of Mexico City.
There are three different segments in this film that play one after another and all of them have some common elements, which bind the three plots into one.
The first segment is called “Octavio and Susana”. Octavio is having an affair with his brother’s wife Susana. Seeing the way his brother beats teenager Susana, he thought she deserves better and plans to run away with her, but needs money to execute his plans. He indulges in the dog fighting where guys make their dogs fight and make money out of it. One of those fights went too intense and a guy shoots Octavio’s dog Cofi in order to spare a defeat. Octavio ran away from the place in his car and gets into an accident at the intersection of the roads and injures himself badly.
The second segment called “Daniel and Valeria” is about the rich TV people. Daniel, a TV producer abandoned his family and is living with his beautiful girlfriend and young actress Valeria. Daniel rented a new apartment for Valeria where her little dog disappears under the floorboards while chasing a ball into a hole in the floor, only to never return. Later during a car accident Valeria severely injured her legs and is now permanently out of her modelling and acting career. This was the same accident which injured Octavio, only this time we see it from another point of view.
In both of these segments, we come across a tramp El Chivo. El Chivo is who we learn about in the third segment, “El Chivo and Maru.” Although he seems like a beggar by his appearance but he actually is a professional hitman with a revolutionary past that ended on a bad note. He also has an estranged wife and daughter Maru. El Chivo is hired by a man to kill his business partner and when he was about to do the execution, that car accident which affected Octavio and Valeria interrupts him. El chivo steals Octavio’s money and his injured dog Cofi and nurses him.
After the road accident, there come unexpected revelations in the lives of Octavio, Valeria and El Chivo. Perros in English means Dogs and indeed the director has showcased dogs as a significant entity in this film. Dogs are symbols of loyalty and in each of the three stories; there is disloyalty by the characters in it, whether it is Octavio being disloyal to his brother, Daniel to his family or El Chivo's client to his business partner.
It is interesting to see that how one car crash changed the course of time for the three main characters of this film. This film is melodramatic, sensational and violent at different points of the plot. Depicting elements of disloyalty in the company of an animal who is a symbol of loyalty is a notable contrast in Amores Perros.
Amores Perros lost to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for the Award for the Best Foreign Film at Academy Awards 2001. It was the first film of director Iñárritu's Death Trilogy; the other two films were 21 grams and Babel.
Movie Geek's Rating: ★★★★
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[This post is a part of the A to Z Challenge in April 2014. Let's celebrate blogging.]
Wow...what a splendid weave of the story. I really like such movie where the protagonists are joined by certain common events. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI love movies with Intertwined stories too :)
DeleteSeems to be a good movie. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteohh yes it is :)
DeleteWhoa that sounds like an interesting movie! I love non-linear story-telling which is why Inception is one of my favorite movies of all time. Bookmarking this movie to watch as soon as April is over :)
ReplyDeleteif you like non-linear stories... do watch Pulp Fiction, Citizen Kane and Magnolia the best three I can think of right now...
DeleteTHis was one of the most brilliant movies I watched. Have you watched Babel too?
ReplyDeleteNo Pratibha, I haven't watched the two other films of this trilogy but I will looking forward to watch them soon :)
DeleteSounds like a splendid movie!
ReplyDeleteIshithaa
#AtoZChallenge
yes it was bhavya :)
DeleteVery expressive narration and it must have made a gripping movie.
ReplyDeleteTo lose out to CTHD , well it was a awesome movie too. I like your take on this movie.
I agree too, Loyalty above all else.
http://inderpreetkaur.blogspot.in/2014/04/a-is-for-alone.html
Glad you like it Inderpreet... good to have you here :)
Deletevery interesting..tempted to watch it ..
ReplyDeleteDo watch it dear friend :)
Deletethe plot sounds very interesting. Will check if I can find the movie online :)
ReplyDeleteI am sure you will love it... :)
DeleteIt seems interesting... How do you find out about all the movies?
ReplyDeleteyes it is Nabanita.. I like to dig about movies and watch new kinds of cinema, once there is passion involved, you keep discovering new details every now and then...
DeleteI'll have to check this one out - it sounds like it'd b right up my street!
ReplyDeleteVisiting via A-Z Challenge. You might like my theme - it's film/TV/Sci-fi one. Come check it out. ;)
http://kincavelkorner.wordpress.com/
ohh yes, it is one of those great films that make you think :)
DeleteThat was a wonderful movie watching through your eyes Amrit
ReplyDeleteBeautifully narrated.....
So many characters involved around one accident,
Thanks Sitara for your lovely comment :)
DeleteInteresting plot./ Thanks.
ReplyDeleteglad you like it Damaria :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting twist of events... and somehow I believe more than me my husband would like this one :-)
ReplyDeleteRicha
looks like your husband is pretty much a movie aficionado, give it a try, both of you will like it :)
DeleteI love movies! I don't normally watch non-English ones though. Great post!
ReplyDelete(New follower)
Lexa Cain
thank you for being a follower Lexa... will post a popular english movie review in some hours.... watch out :)
DeleteSounds interesting and I love movies that are violent, sensational and melodramatic on purpose. Plus, Babel and 21 grams were great movies. How'd I miss this one. I have to put this on on my list.
ReplyDeletewell that's funny that you watched the 2nd and 3rd films of a trilogy and not the first... never mind, watch it now :)
DeleteInteresting and very well written Amrit :)
ReplyDeletethanks Sunila.. :)
DeleteWow. I am a movie buff, Amritt and I haven't seen this movie! I love how you wrote it!
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to adding to my list of movies to watch :D
Vidya Sury
Rocking the A to Z Challenge with Team Damyanti
Affirmations
The ABCs of Living with Type 2 Diabetes
thanks a lot Vidya... glad you like it
DeleteThis is a fantastic movie, no doubt and you did a fab job of reviewing it, Amritt!
ReplyDeleteglad you like it Corinne :)
DeleteLooks like a good one ...
ReplyDeleteohh yes it is... do watch it Sheethal
DeleteI remember when this film first came out. It was like a blast in the face of cinema. The first real big hit of the Mexican New Wave. A film that begat such films as Y Tu Mama, Tambien and it's American offshoots like Babel and Children of Men. Great movie, indeed. Enjoy the A to Z Challenge, and I'll be seeing ya 'round the web.
ReplyDeleteCheck me out: All Things Kevyn
Children of Men is perhaps one of my most loved films and you are absolutely correct, this is actually a signature film for the Mexican new wave.
DeleteYou are really detailed in your reviews! I love your writing style and how well you present the facts (even though this type of movie really isn't my thing).
ReplyDeleteJessica
Visions of Other Worlds
thanks a lot Jessica :)
DeleteWow! This looks like a fantastic movie... a fab plot it has and your review has made me add this movie in my Must Watch List, Amrit :)
ReplyDeleteits good to hear that people watch a movie because I recommended them... hope you like it shilpa
DeleteSounds like a great movie...I love movies where different people's lives connect through a significant event. Have you seen Crash?
ReplyDeleteNo, I haven't crashed with Crash till now.... poor me :P
DeleteRemember watching this one long back and I second your thought about this movie. Simply, a breathtaking movie it is. :)
ReplyDeleteYes Nikhil, this is breathtaking filmmaking by Innarritu... glad you like the review
Delete