I reaaaally didn't want to see 21 Grams. But Maleficent insisted and I'm glad I did.

Like Memento, 21 Grams takes place in a series of interspersed footage, linked together by moods and themes rather than plot linearity. It all revolves around an ex-convict (Jack Jordan, played by Benicio Del Toro), a widow (Christina Peck, played by Naomi Watts) , and a heart transplant patient (Paul Rivers, played by Sean Penn). How the three come together is the basis of the movie.

21 Grams has (forgive the pun) a lot of heart. It wants you to feel the depths of the protagonists' sorrow. Indeed, there are few uplifting messages about what happens. The characters consistently face death and, even when armed with faith, have no other reaction than a slow blinking horror as the abyss stares back. To them, there is nothing BUT death - there is no hope, no redemption, and no recovery.

And therein lies the crux of what 21 Grams gets at - that we forget that rage is an important part of grief. The two characters come together twice - first for the accident that tears their lives apart, and then again at the end for a misconceived act of revenge. During that time, we see all of the characters slowly die - some physically, others spiritually.

21 Grams does pay attention to the emotional details. All of the characters are fundamentally flawed. Christina doesn't just become a drug addict because of the horrible grief she experiences - she was a drug addict before and quit the habit for her new life with her husband and two children. Similarly, Jack became a man of faith in a rejection of his old ways and to be a better father to his children and a better husband to his wife. And Paul? Paul got back together with his wife and agreed to have a baby with her. In short, all three groups strive for domestic harmony.

Once the accident happens, that domestic harmony crumbles apart. There is a distinct lack of family and friends to compensate for the loss. In fact, the movie has some strange flaws, such as a doctor sharing the death of a loved one in a public area of the hospital. Still, the film remains tightly focused on how these three people simply cannot cope with what has happened.

Ultimately, the resolution is a grim reminder that death is a part of life. Through the characters' rage, through their own hatred of themselves and others, they slowly begin to understand that they must purge their guilt. 21 Grams seems like an awfully convincing argument for the death penalty.

Del Toro plays troubled Jack with an understated form of self-loathing turned religious zeal, something many people are all too familiar with. Penn pretty much stands around and mopes (and they gave the guy an Oscar for this?). The real winner is Watts, who screams, rages, loves, lusts, and shatters like broken glass right before our very eyes.

Unfortunately, 21 Grams drags. The movie makes some strong statements about death, life and family, but it takes a little too long to get there. But for all that, I couldn't help but forgive the director. His message was strong enough to make me sign my donor card.