3. Amores Perros (2000, Mexico)
Amores Perros is the debut movie of the Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu. The film is the first part of Inarritu's Trilogy of Death, and is followed by 21 Grams(2003) and Babel (2006). It is a movie about sorrow and, especially, about loss. The film tells three different stories that are connected by a car crash. The first part is about Octavio, a young man that is in love with his sister-in-law and plans to run away with her. In order to make money, he trains his dog and subscribes it in dogfights. The second part is about Valeria, a model that broke her leg and spends her days with her dog in her apartment, which she shares with Daniel, a man who just left his family to be with her. The last part is about El Chivo, an old homeless man that is trying to contact the daughter he hasn't spoken to in years. Desperate for money, he works as a hitman and lives in an abandoned warehouse, surrounded by dogs. Set in Mexico City, in different neighborhoods and approaching different scenarios and situations, the film is extremely powerful and heavy-hearted, counting with brilliant acting, especially from Gael García Bernal. Amores Perros is a movie about a dark side of love and also about humanity at its worst moments, when it is following its primal instincts, which is never a pretty or pleasant thing to watch.