Mexican Dog Tales -- Amores Perros
The phrase "Amores Perros" is loosely translated for Americans as "Love's a bitch," which makes some sense for the film since each person does have some challenges with love. More literally, the phrase indicates something about "loving dogs," which also fits into the disjointed stories.
After an opening car chase and crash, visually interesting but disorienting, the film settles down at a slower pace and allows us to piece together the lives of a few characters, beginning with Octavio (Gael Garcia Bernal), a charismatic and charming unemployed slacker from the underclass, who is obsessed with his sister-in-law and dreams of running off with her to Juarez. (If you've ever been to this bordertown, you already realize that this is like jumping from the armpit of the world to its asshole)
Nevertheless, we are drawn into Octavio's story. After all, he does love his killer Rottweiler named Cofi despite using him as his money ticket and he does care for his sister-in-law Susana (Vanessa Bauche). Octavio's brother is a louse, a cashier who robs stores on the side and gives his wife cheap trinkets before slapping her around. Will Susana leave her lover for the idealistic dreamer, who relies on the bloody dogfight underground with its underbelly of thugs to save the necessary money to escape north. Given Susana's nature, the knowledge of the promised land of Juarez, and the opening frenetic scene, we already know how this will turn out . . . but the story has some interest. Credit the acting abilities of Bernal for much of that, as well as the visual eye of director Iñárritu.
We then switch to the weakest story about the magazine executive, Daniel (Alvaro Guerrero) who leaves his loving wife and two daughters for a shallow supermodel, Valeria (Goya Toledo), whose image is prominently displayed on a building for much of the story. The canine connection here is with Valeria, who is obsessed with her small dog, and can't think of anything else when he slips through a hole in the floor. Her life is radically changed from the accident, but the whole story feels trite and mundane for the most part. The only touch I liked was Daniel's poignant silent phone call to his wife, so I was glad when Iñárritu mercifully switches to the last segment.
Finally we learn about the older bearded homeless man, who loves his dogs but also operates as a hit man.
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