“21 Grams” is the new film starring Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, and Benicio Del Toro. The film comes from the new-to-Hollywood director Alejandro Inarritu (with various accents to accent his foreignness). All the performances are pure and driven; however, the emotions they play out are over-dramatic and depressing.

’21 Grams’ entertains a few of the most important questions of the modern man’s universe. For example, how does one deal with guilt? How does one define oneself in relation to the others around one? Does time depend on one’s emotional and mental state or is it independent of all forces? And most importantly, ’21 Grams” asks, is Sean Penn hot?

Most of these questions don’t have definite answers. When he is smiling, Penn is stunning; however, half-naked and wheezing Sean is left in a most unattractive state. But I digress. The drama that occurs throughout the film is a bit unrealistic. The coincidences, serendipitous tragedies, and fortuitous conflicts create an embracing aura. The characters are defined by the random events, not by their relationships. Hence the phrase which recurs throughout the film, “Life must go on.” This is spit towards the sadness and misery each character must endure.

One will extract the most enjoyment by interacting mentally with the film. If you are searching for a relaxing feel-good movie I would suggest “Big Fish” or “Along Came Polly”. “21 Grams” is intense and profound. It is moody at times, but redeems itself with realistic character interaction and soft, poignant scenes. The story plays out like “Pulp Fiction” and “Memento”. The viewer has to be involved in each scene, not in order to understand the plot, but to push the mind in the right direction. Overall, it was a wonderful change from the usual.