A middle-aged man dying of heart failure, an ex-convict who has found god and a stay-at-home with a beautiful family. The trio have nothing in common initially, but through a series of unfortunate events, their lives will clash, and ultimately change forever.

Paul Rivers (Sean Penn) lies in a bed with tubes violating almost every orifice on his face, an IV line in his arm and life support dreadfully mocking his respiratory system. A half dozen or more men on the verge of dying share the beds around him. He stares at the light in the ceiling, wondering which of them will die first. That is the painful tone we are introduced to in the opening scene.

We then meet Jack (Benicio Del Toro), an ex-convict who has since found religion. He plays Jenga with a troubled youth — trying to teach him the rewards of thinking before you act. He explains to him that God has a path for all of us. “God knows when a single hair moves on your head,” says Jack.

Finally, there is Cristina (Naomi Watts), a well-kept, beautiful blonde. She pulls herself out of a pool and heads home to her family. She begins making dinner when she receives a devastating phone call from the hospital — her family is dead.

In his first feature film, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu tangles with the darker side of life. The side of life that only few of us are subjected to, and all of us hope to never experience firsthand.

The film is not told in the typical beginning to end fashion. Scenes from all points in the script are randomly assorted together to ultimately tell the whole tale. It is a very odd and unique way to tell a story but it worked extraordinarily well. His next film “Babel” was displayed the same way and received acclaimed reviews.

All the actors in “21 Grams” were able to capture the true darkness in their characters. This is a film that shows us how some people will act when they are confronted with the most difficult parts of life.

Sean Penn and Naomi Watts gave a gripping performance as a couple brought together by the death of others.

Benicio Del Toro could have carried the film on his own. His character, Jack, was the most intense of the three — floating through life, going in and out of jail, finding God, only to betrayed by his new meaning in life.

If you’re already depressed, don’t watch this movie. It might put you over the edge. On the other hand, it might make you feel that much better about yourself. It truly is a sad, sad story but it does have an eventual meaning about life and how we shouldn’t take it for granted. It’s one of my favorite films of this decade and will continue to be towards the top of my list.