I enjoy watching independent/art house/or whatever you want to call them films. But, sometimes you have to wonder why a movie doesn't make it into larger circulation, especially when there is an Oscar buzz surrounding the movie before it's even released. In the case of 21 Grams, it could be the confusing directing style. I remember back when Pulp Fiction was first released. I was sitting at the theatre thinking how difficult it was to follow the story with it flip/flopping back and forth. Now when I watch Pulp Fiction, it seems so straightforward by today's standards. For 21 Grams, the circulation could also be limited because of the not-so-feel-good nature of the film. One day we sat around discussing how the feel-good-movie-of-the-year isn't likely to come out of an independent theatre. Often times, the movies seem to be filled with misery and death. I go to the theatre to relax and be entertained, but at an independent film, I've been known to walk out more tense and stressed out that when I went in.
After you get past all of the negatives, 21 Grams is moderately enjoyable. It's rumored that Sean Penn may received Best Actor nods this year for both Mystic River and 21 Grams this year. Although I think he's a talented actor, his performances in these 2 films pails in comparison to his performance in I Am Sam. In fact, I liked Del Toro?s performance in 21 Grams better than Penn's, so hopefully he'll be on the ballot as well.
If you need a "fix" of Sean Penn, I'd say rent I Am Sam and sit back and wait for 21 Grams to hit video.
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