Featured Audience Ratings

• Dan S

  
  A 'Pulp Fiction'-esque film dealing with several characters and how they are all interconnected amongst the dirty, bleak streets of Mexico City, where dogfighting is common and how a vicious car crash wrecks the lives of those involved. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu… More
  A 'Pulp Fiction'-esque film dealing with several characters and how they are all interconnected amongst the dirty, bleak streets of Mexico City, where dogfighting is common and how a vicious car crash wrecks the lives of those involved. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is a very skilled director whose stories are usually intense and very dramatic, and this is as big and successful and opening film as any director out there has ever had. The way he weaves his stories together despite starting them out completely separate from each other, combined with how he paces his film and makes 150 minutes seem like an hour and a half film, is nothing short of incredible. There are a few instances of over-acting and a few questionable turns in the story, but asides from this is an absolutely gripping piece of cinema that must not go unseen.

• Jim H

  
  After a dog-fighter crashes into a supermodel, the film depicts each person's story. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's films never surpassed this, his first effort. An extraordinarily well-told story, Amores Perros reaches the Altman Standard for intersecting stories. Linked… More
  After a dog-fighter crashes into a supermodel, the film depicts each person's story. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's films never surpassed this, his first effort. An extraordinarily well-told story, Amores Perros reaches the Altman Standard for intersecting stories. Linked by the themes of love and dogs and love of dogs, each story is compelling in its own way, especially the final chapter, which takes advantage of a phenomenal performance by Emilio Echeverria. What I found disappointing was the ending of the second story, which seemed to come to a depressing conclusion without substance. The same can be said of the first story's ending, but the final moments of the film, which conclude the third story, make up for many of the film's deficiencies as a whole. Overall, Amores Perros is a fantastic debut for a rightfully internationally acclaimed filmmaker.

• Jan Marc M

  
  Love's A Bitch is a multi-layered and well-articulated mock to humanity's understanding of loyalty. Violent and profound. Aggressive and cruel. Prodigious.

• Steven C

  
  "Amores Perros" is the mesmerizing directorial debut from Alejandro González Iñárritu. The film is fiercely affecting and involving. Iñárritu's handle over the pacing of his three interlaced short stories is invigorating. The character's in Iñárritu's world… More
  "Amores Perros" is the mesmerizing directorial debut from Alejandro González Iñárritu. The film is fiercely affecting and involving. Iñárritu's handle over the pacing of his three interlaced short stories is invigorating. The character's in Iñárritu's world only know one currency- violence. No matter if the intentions are good, bad or a combination, each exchange stems from violence. This idea fleshes out the existential aspects of the narrative and adds an almost noirish touch. After all, the world these people inhabit is centerless and out of control, just like any good noir story. For all it's graphic, horrendous violence, "Amores Perros" is an outstanding film that's gripping and thought provoking and well worth serious attention.

• Cynthia S

  
  Disturbing, yet really really good. A rather long movie, but it was completely worth it. I love Gael Garcia Bernal, and his performance in this was superb, as usual. Nominated for 2001 Academy Award, and it absolutely deserved it.

• Lewis C

  
  "To make God laugh, tell him your plans." I usually love these kinds of sprawling dramas about interconnected people, but I suppose there's an exception to every rule. Amores Perros is that exception, for me. It felt more like a 2 1/2 hour soap opera, than a riveting… More
  "To make God laugh, tell him your plans." I usually love these kinds of sprawling dramas about interconnected people, but I suppose there's an exception to every rule. Amores Perros is that exception, for me. It felt more like a 2 1/2 hour soap opera, than a riveting drama. The only story of the three presented here that somewhat interested me was that of Daniel and Valeria. The rest of my time with Amores Perros was spent wondering why none of these people have caller ID, wondering whether this movie set some kind of record for most fake dead dogs in a film, wondering who El Chivo reminded me of (Il Duce from Boondock Saints), wondering why they just didn't cover the darn hole (who leaves gaping holes in the middle of their apartment floor?), and trying to think up a name for the dog (never came up with anything I liked more than Lost Dog). Mostly, I was just bored. I've read other people describe this as a powerful movie. Unfortunately, it just didn't do much for me. I give it credit for breaking my heart over those gorgeous legs (a true tragedy, my friends), but that's about it.

• Sophie B

  
  I thought this was a vile film about dog fighting and how peoples lives become messed up. The dog fighting was horrible, I just didn't want to see stuff like that. It shows how greedy and selfish some of those leaders were by using their dogs and giving them pain and even getting… More
  I thought this was a vile film about dog fighting and how peoples lives become messed up. The dog fighting was horrible, I just didn't want to see stuff like that. It shows how greedy and selfish some of those leaders were by using their dogs and giving them pain and even getting them killed just for money. I liked the way it showed that no matter who you are, how rich you are, how good a job you've got, bad things always happen and people will never be 100% happy with what they've got. I didn't like how the stories were quite bluntly cut but I really enjoyed exploring this man who we had no idea who he was in the beginning. It was good to keep him throughout because it gave the film a constant. The acting was good on Bernal's part. Overall, this is not a film I'd like to see again.

• Conner R

  
  I think that I can honestly say that this is one of the greatest movies ever made. It might not be as obvious as most, but this film manages to tell a story in a way that no one has ever managed to do before. Each segment tells a very different story, but all manage to show real life… More
  I think that I can honestly say that this is one of the greatest movies ever made. It might not be as obvious as most, but this film manages to tell a story in a way that no one has ever managed to do before. Each segment tells a very different story, but all manage to show real life and real conclusions. There aren’t any uplifting speeches, dynamite dialogue or flawless action sequences, but I’d never want any of those things included in a movie like this. It is anything but a conventional Hollywood film, it doesn’t give you the same sequence of events, rising action, etc. You are presented with situations the way they would occur. The first story and probably my favorite, Octavio & Susana is about someone trying to do the right thing, but getting caught up in a whole lot of trouble. Octavio knows that his brother is a horrible person and that he mistreats his wife so he takes it upon himself to save her. However, he mistakes pity for love and forces thoughts upon himself that just aren’t real. He gets turned on to the dog fighting underground and makes a lot of money very fast, making a lot of enemies as well. This leads to a car chase that changes the lives of two other people as well as himself. Eventually he gives up on escape and decides to move on with his life. Gael Garcia Bernal is amazing as Octavio and extremely close to what I would consider a flawless performance. You fall in love with this character and automatically sympathize with his situation and the choices he makes. The next segment was interesting, dealing with the decline of vanity and independence. A woman is physically impaired in the car crash and forced to end her modeling career. The events that follow play around with the idea of fate and the bad luck of human nature. The last segment really finishes off the movie nicely. It follows a man that has almost completely lost the will to live, with nothing but dogs for company. He follows around his estranged daughter in hopes of reconnecting with her, but never seems to make the emotional leap. His past and current occupation as a hitman make him one of the most complex characters I’ve ever seen on screen. His judgments and actions are almost completely unpredictable. He has moments of pure rage and hate and others of compassion and love. The ending fits so well with the message of the film, that life will continue. It might not be happy or just, but it will continue.

• Randy T

  
  "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans" Exquisite cinema, but a hard, hard watch for animal lovers (like me).

• Drew S

  
  An interesting and entirely involving prototype to the "hyperlink" film that's had more than its share of attention in Hollywood lately. Even though this is probably one of the quickest two and a half hours I've ever spent with a movie, I do wish that the film was… More
  An interesting and entirely involving prototype to the "hyperlink" film that's had more than its share of attention in Hollywood lately. Even though this is probably one of the quickest two and a half hours I've ever spent with a movie, I do wish that the film was created with more economy. Obviously Amores Perros would not exist or function to its fullest if one of the three stories was abridged or removed, but the division of time between the rather large cast of main characters creates an unusual effect. I found that though I had developed a great interest in these people, I wasn't truly connected to them, feeling more like a detached observer than someone genuinely invested in their plights. They are elegantly rendered portraits, if only through virtue of some amazing acting; Inarritu gets flawless performances out of every single one of his actors here. It goes a long way in glossing over some of the heavier writing, such as Gael Garcia Bernal's caricaturally demonic older brother or the rather limp Abel-Cain scenario at the end. In the scope of the story he wanted to tell, I don't think Inarritu could have done much better, and overall the movie is a ringing success. Perhaps not a masterpiece, but an exciting and unique experiment in a narrative structure that would later be beaten into the ground.

• Anthony L

  
  Well shot and thought provoking but disappointing due to it being far too long, over hyped and a bit contrived. Still a good film, although Dog lovers may disagree!

• Lady D

  
  Utterly brilliant! Completely worthy of all it's praise. If you like films where various stories intertwine then this is an absolute must. The acting, the plot and pretty much everything about this film was gritty and realistic. VERDICT: You do need patience with this… More
  Utterly brilliant! Completely worthy of all it's praise. If you like films where various stories intertwine then this is an absolute must. The acting, the plot and pretty much everything about this film was gritty and realistic. VERDICT: You do need patience with this film, but one I definitely recommend people to see

• Alice S

  
  Passionate film on its own, but a slightly heavy mish-mash of inspirations - stylistically from <i>Pulp Fiction</i> and narratively from Kieslowski's <i>Three Colors</i> trilogy. And I never thought I'd be truly disturbed by anything in a movie, but… More
  Passionate film on its own, but a slightly heavy mish-mash of inspirations - stylistically from <i>Pulp Fiction</i> and narratively from Kieslowski's <i>Three Colors</i> trilogy. And I never thought I'd be truly disturbed by anything in a movie, but yeah, animal violence does it.

• Lorenzo v

  
  'Amores Perros' is a fabulous piece of storytelling. Using a spectacular, jarring car crash as his centrepiece the director skilfully weaves three stories about the lives and loves of it's three victims over a background of modern day Mexico. With a title that… More
  'Amores Perros' is a fabulous piece of storytelling. Using a spectacular, jarring car crash as his centrepiece the director skilfully weaves three stories about the lives and loves of it's three victims over a background of modern day Mexico. With a title that translates as 'Love's A Bitch', the focus is on the trials and tribulations said emotion can produce. The result is totally absorbing cinema. Extremely well directed given the acutely difficult premise and featuring several stand-out performances, 'Amores Perros' is top-notch in every way, from it's explosive start to its thoughtful denouement. A must-see. <b>4/5</b>

• Tim S

  
  Brutal and touching at the same time. I liked the old man's story the best. The way the stories are intertwined is great and it's a shame every movie after this was more noticed. (a la sucky Crash)

• Elvira B

  
  Amores Perros was the first collaboration between Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu and Guillermo Arriaga. Both of them proved to be true filmmakers, talented, and, most importantly, two of the most relevant voices in New Mexican Cinema. The plot is divided in three sub-plots: three love… More
  Amores Perros was the first collaboration between Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu and Guillermo Arriaga. Both of them proved to be true filmmakers, talented, and, most importantly, two of the most relevant voices in New Mexican Cinema. The plot is divided in three sub-plots: three love stories impacted by the same car crash. They are Octavio y Susana, Daniel y Valeria, and El Chivo y Maru. Besides the accident, they have but one thing in common: they depend more on dogs than other human beings. Dogs are the objects of their affection, their faithful companions, their gates to transgression. Arriaga found a way to involve the man-dog relationship intimately with the love chronicles recounted, and such is the closeness that at a certain point it seems the two are not parallel, but that they are intertwined within the psychology of the characters. This is already a fantastic achievement in screenwriting. Although the violence and the blood are abundant, Amores Perros has a visceral force seldom present in contemporary filmmaking, especially in films in which aggression and brute force are as crucial. I think we have become insensible to gore; by itself, gratuitously, it hardly means anything today and hardly causes any other reaction than disgust. In Amores Perros all elements are skillfully interwoven, and so it impossible to unlink emotion and injury. The violence in this film, towards both animals and people, originates pain, impotence, frustration, and most importantly, a feeling that what we are watching is altogether wrong. The characters are surprisingly realistic. There is no "good" guy, or "bad" guy. There is no black and white, but half-tints, like it is in life. As men and women we are inherently weak, we make mistakes, we have silly illusions, we negate reality, we succumb to temptations, and we feel remorse... above all, we are not always coherent and we are not always well-intentioned towards others. We have interests, we have friends, enemies. All these facets of human nature are present in the film. A few random examples: the fact Ramiro hits Susana doesn't make her prefer Octavio, who treats her well. The fact Daniel looks after Valeria doesn't mean she will be thankful, and so on: selfish, unpleasant realities, but nothing less than true. By the end, we get the feeling that Octavio, Susana, Valeria, Daniel, El Chivo, Maru, and all the dogs, do in fact exist, somewhere in Mexico City, and it is completely due to the excellent script by Guillermo Arriaga, who managed to dissect three pairs of soul and transfer them, dirt and all, to the silver screen.

• Robert C

  
  The first of a trilogy and my favorite of the three. It is a gritty, moving look at several different aspects of life in Mexico. I was immediately sucked into this film, which made me an istant fan of the director.

• Tsubaki S

  
  Not bad, but nothing memorable. Made many think that mexican cinema was going to revive after this, and boy were they wrong. Emilio Echevarria is the only actor that really shines here.

• Lanning :

  
  In a similar way that a movie such as <i>11:14</i> weaves together stories that hinge on a coincident moment in time, <i>Amores Perros</i> tells three stories that revolve around a single traffic accident. The writing is less taut than… More
  In a similar way that a movie such as <i>11:14</i> weaves together stories that hinge on a coincident moment in time, <i>Amores Perros</i> tells three stories that revolve around a single traffic accident. The writing is less taut than <i>11:14</i>, but I don't consider that a fault. The traffic accident, while it is the event that involves all of the principals, is not as momentous an occasion as the clock striking 11:14. What actually stands as the similarity among the stories here is more theme driven than it is in <i>11:14</i>, the primary themes being those of love and loss, of intimacy vs. independence or loneliness, and of acceptance or non-acceptance of the way things happen in life. The treatment of animals in general makes me quake, but given the importance of this for the storyline, I'm almost willing to understand what seems like excessive violence toward animals. Almost.

• Fernando Rafael Q

  
  AMORES PERROS (or Love's a bitch, in english), the film debut of one of Mexico's (and the world's) most important directors, Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu, almost took the oscar for Foreign Language Film in 2000...it's Gonzalez Iñarritu's best film, done in his… More
  AMORES PERROS (or Love's a bitch, in english), the film debut of one of Mexico's (and the world's) most important directors, Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu, almost took the oscar for Foreign Language Film in 2000...it's Gonzalez Iñarritu's best film, done in his trademark interlocking style, it's dirty. gritty, tough, but at times it's also tender, even funny...script by Guillermo Arriaga, the most lauded mexican film writer ever (and he deserves it) and it features some of Mexico's finest actors: Gael García Bernal, Alvaro Guerrero, Emilio Echevarría, Vanessa Bauche, Adriana Barraza (who i was lucky enough to meet), Jorge Salinas, Marco Perez, Rodrigo Murray, Dagoberto Gama, and Gustavo Sanchez Parra...great drama, great writing, great actors, a little too gory for my taste but it's an amazing picture :)

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