I can’t place this film, and it annoys me. What I like is that each of the narratives genuinely mean something and make an important statement in unique ways; what’s annoying is the overly pretentious attempt to link the narratives together across the globe, suggesting that in life’s rich tapestry everything is somehow connected in tiny ways. That pisses me off and doesn’t actually hold together as well as it needs to. I admire Alejandro González Iñárritu as a filmmaker, and whilst I believe this is his worst film, his directing is still impressive, if not somewhat wasted here.
Adam Lester. 