Search - Amores Perros on DVD

A Dog Eat Dog World

John F. Rooney | 06/27/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Amores Perros" (Love Is a Bitch) has three stories which intersect at several points, most notably at the site of a deadly automobile crash. All three segments have dogs as a key element, and each is about hopeless love. In the first story two brothers share a dog and a wife. One brother uses their rottweiler in vicious dog fights (viewers beware), and the married brother works in and robs pharmacies on the side.

The second story concerns a super model and her older boyfriend who has deserted his wife. Her little lap dog gets trapped under some flooring, and all hell breaks loose.

In the third story a bearded street person with a pack of loyal dogs was a revolutionary and is currently a hired hitman. He tries to get in touch with his daughter who believes him dead.

In this devastating movie none of the characters are particularly admirable. It's exceptionally well done and well-acted, but be prepared for a downer. Mexico City is the milieu for the action. The movie sometimes moves back and forth in time so we see events reenacted from another angle; a feature that makes the narrative more exciting.

Each of the dog owners reacts differently. Is it a dog-eat-dog world we're living in? This is a film well worth watching.

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