Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and written by Guillermo Arriaga, an amateur dog fighter, a supermodel, and a derelict assassin, all separately struggling to find love, find their lives transformed by a devastating car wreck in Mexico City. Starring: Emilio Echevarría, Gael García Bernal, Vanessa Bauche, Goya Toledo, Álvaro Guerrero, Jorge Salinas, Marco Pérez, Rodrigo Murray and Humberto Busto.
Films with intersecting story lines really had a moment in the 1990s and 2000s, with Babel, Crash, Pulp Fiction, Magnolia and more, with a key member among them being Amores Perros. Another thing they often have in common, and that Alejandro G. Iñárritu clearly made good use of in this film, is having a certain grit and despair. Iñárritu and Guillermo Arriaga dive headfirst into those qualities with a harsh, intense opening, and that harshness rarely lets up throughout the film, so if that’s not for you, you’ll probably struggle to get through Amores Perros.
It has a strong tension, and the atmosphere has a combustible quality. The personality which Iñárritu instils in Amores Perros is aggressive and abrasive, it’s an unending tirade of violence, desire, vanity and greed. It’s surprisingly and unshakably bleak, particularly when it comes to the violence, there are moments where it almost veers into horror territory. The cinematography from Rodrigo Prieto (Brokeback Mountain, Barbie, The Wolf of Wall Street) leans into all of that, it embraces the grit and grime, it brings an excellent texture and a loud note of foreboding.
While this is a story of intersecting lives, it’s hard not to feel like Gael García Bernal takes the lead. He brings a sheer desperation and determination, blinded by love, he’s reckless and has a perhaps somewhat unearned yet glaring confidence. While arguably Amores Perros’ most interesting character is Emilio Echevarría’s El Chivo. He’s mysterious and methodical but also layered and vulnerable, it’s a fantastic performance from Echevarría. While Goya Toledo does also give a strong performance, her vein of the story is sadly much less interesting. It feels drawn out and repetitive, it doesn’t have anywhere near as much to add as the others.
Amores Perros captures a downward spiral of violence and destruction, filled with sadness, despair, blood and tears. It’s a harsh landscape which Alejandro G. Iñárritu created, while Guillermo Arriaga packed it with doomed love. The visual is loaded with energy that’s ready to explode at any moment, its intensity is unrelenting and impressive, even uncomfortable at times. It’s bleak watching so undoubtedly not for everyone, but if you’re a glutton for punishment, you’ll definitely enjoy this one.
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