8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
In Mexico City, the lives of three strangers—a young man mixed up in the gritty underworld of dogfighting, a glamorous woman who seems to have it all, and a mysterious assassin who is desperate to reconnect with his estranged daughter—collide in a tragic twist of fate that forever alters their personal journeys.
Starring: Gael García Bernal, Goya Toledo, Emilio Echevarría, Vanessa Bauche, Álvaro GuerreroDrama | 100% |
Foreign | 79% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH, Spanish SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The films of Alejandro González Iñárritu have often tended to split both audiences and critics alike, with some folks announcing Iñárritu as a major visionary, and others dismissing him as a pretentious poseur. Much of Iñárritu’s recent reputation has been based on Birdman and The Revenant, two films which I personally at least found to be quite remarkable and actually unforgettable. I was similarly impressed with Biutiful, though that film’s relentlessly dour approach combined with often startling magical realism may make it an even harder sell to the general public than something intentionally outré like Birdman. Iñárritu seems to favor working with ensemble casts at least some of the time, often offering intersecting storylines that seek to explore subjects from a variety of perspectives, and both of those tendencies are in play in Amores perros, a film which, like Biutiful, requires a certain steeling of one’s emotions to wend through an often depressing and outright disturbing array of violent behaviors, not just between humans but sadly in this case also involving dogs, the “perros” of the film’s title. I first saw Amores perros years ago when I was given a gift certificate to a DVD emporium (back when brick and mortar stores were the norm), and, without anything pressing on my shopping list, picked it up simply because it was on an endcap and caught my eye. I frankly couldn’t get through the film the first time I attempted to watch it, being kind of shocked at some of the depictions on display. It was only after Iñárritu’s profile became more prominent with the releases of 21 Grams and (probably especially) Babel, two films which are linked to Amores perros by design, that I revisited Iñárritu’s first feature film and, appropriately steeled, managed to make it through an often devastating viewing experience. Amores perros, 21 Grams and Babel all share certain structural similarities, and they all feature at least passing references to a Crash (so to speak), and all three have been linked as a cheerily named “Trilogy of Death”, a nickname which may indicate as well as anything some of the hurdles some viewers may face when attempting to deal with what is frequently a pretty bleak vision of Man and his place in the world.
Amores Perros is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. Lionsgate didn't provide any real PR for this release (nor did they send a screener), and my hunch is this is probably culled from the same master that Svet assessed in his Amores Perros Blu-ray review, which was in his estimation old even then. A cursory comparison of screenshots suggests this version is just very slightly brighter looking than the British release, but otherwise the palette looks similar if not identical. To my eyes, there's a very subtle blue undertone to at least some sections of this transfer that tends to flush skin tones just slightly and give a somewhat otherworldly look to things. There are some passing compression issues on this release, especially in some of the darker moments, but detail levels are at least good throughout the presentation, and often very good, especially in brighter lighting regimens.
Amores Perros features a rather boisterous DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track (in the original Spanish, with optional English subtitles), one that derives consistent energy and surround activity from elements like a central car crash, the ferocious dogfights, or even a soundtrack that is regularly filled with hip hop and other bass heavy cues. Dialogue is generally very well prioritized, with just a couple of lines being subtly masked by some of the ambient environmental noises or other sound effects. Fidelity is excellent and dynamic range extremely wide on this problem free track.
I may simply be too much of a dog lover to watch Amores Perros with sufficient detachment to let the human equation affect me. This is not an easy film to sit through one way or the other, and I have to say if you are a dog lover, you will need a certain amount of fortitude to withstand some of the imagery and/or plot points you'll be facing. This is relentless, powerful filmmaking by any standard, though, and it certainly points up some of Iñárritu's strengths as a visual stylist and especially as a provider of often disturbing depictions of people attempting to survive on the margins of "society". Video here is a bit on the lackluster side, but audio is outstanding. With caveats duly noted, Amores Perros comes Recommended.
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