022 - Amores Perros (2000)

DVD Box

Amores Perros intertwines three separate stories from the streets of Mexico City - all connected by a single car crash.

Rather than telling the stories together, which can often be confusing as scenes dart from one unrelated incident to another, director Alejandro González Iñárritu opts to tell each story in succession, throwing in elements from each every now and again. This works to a point, but sometimes leaves each story feeling isolated.

First up is Octavio, tragically in love with his brother's wife, he decides to use the family dog in fights to win money. The scenes involving the dog fights are both raw and brutal, leaving little to the imagination. Of course, this will no doubt cause controversy amongst many viewers to start with, but it fact it just adds a depth of realism.

Theatrical Poster

Secondly is Valeria, a model whose obsession with looks is almost as great as that for her dog. As she is injured in the car crash, she begins to take it out on her lover and her life takes a further turn for the worse as her pet finds itself stuck under the floor, leaving her confined in the home with only her dog's whining for comfort.

Lastly is El Chivo - a former Government hitman who has fallen hard in recent times. He makes a living by carrying out the occasional killing, but he yearns for his estranged daughter whom he left at an early age. During the crash he steals from Octavio - both his cash and his dog. Karma is dealt after nursing the dog back from health it turns to instinct, killing El Chivo's other canine friends.

As you can gather from the stories; Amores Perros - Love's a bitch.

An encapsulating, if slightly disjointed film. Well worth a watch.

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