Amores Perros

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. (07/01/2005)

I consider the first story to be an example of perfect filmmaking craftsmanship and Inarritu, to me, was a genius while watching it, someone to whom I would confidently entrust any subject because his visual ideas or the 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 rather focus on the gradual psychological development of the characters. Unfortunately, most of the time it is a bit too gradual and almost tedious. (03/08/2006)

A debut that, despite having a few errors, as a whole is an excellent affair and mainly shows great promise for the future. If it weren’t for certain inconsistencies in the characters’ fates and no rising tension in the story, there isn’t much to criticize. In acting terms perfect, the screenplay marvelous and the director brilliant. Slightly disappointing that Iñárritu gives you the strongest moments right at the very beginning of the picture, but it doesn’t reduce the huge quality of Amores Perros overall. (17/01/2007)

The first and most personal message from the pen of Guillermo Arriaga and the perspective of A.G. Iñárritu. The individual stories are captured and presented in a manner so tremendously experienced and substantive that together they form something quite extraordinary. They are an incredibly true and painful confession about the transience of life, happiness, love, joy, confidence, trust... The viewer has the opportunity to watch Iñárritu's mosaic toy with the unbalanced Octavio, who is desperately in love with his brother's wife and begins to make money for their future together in a less than humane and honest way, which he ends up paying for badly, or in another part, the complete emotional and physical deformation of a woman who is forced to reassess her previous priorities and, eventually, her seemingly perfect relationship with a married man, which is put to a very severe test. In the last piece of the mosaic, we follow the efforts of an old, unhappy, and emotionally empty man to rebuild his relationship with his daughter, while at the same time re-evaluating his previous life and desperately trying to make amends and reconcile two brothers who wanted to have each other murdered. Money, hatred, calculation, and desperation figure in everything here. Iñárritu tells a beautiful but ruthless and hard-hitting story of human emotion, love, and betrayal. Amores Perros is, for me, one of the most sophisticated and satisfying dramas ever made. (30/10/2009)

A nasty, dirty, violent and depressive film, just as I like them. The plot is not as complex as the director’s second film (21 Grams), but it’s a lot more effective nonetheless. Amores Perros consists of three intertwined stories, each with a completely different atmosphere, which together deliver a holistic and very intense emotional load. Very recommended. (27/02/2009)