This Mexican movie was surprisingly good. I confess the sin of prejudice concerning Mexican cinema, this being maybe the second Mexican film I have ever seen, but here my sins are punished. This is the work of a director of big talent. Hopefully, he will not be spoiled by the success.

Three different stories in today's Mexico mix with very few common elements. The characters belong to different social categories, and nothing connects them at first sight, excepting the feeling of un-happiness, and - yes - dogs. Dogs play an important role in all three stories. One more warning - there is a lot of cruelty including dog fights - this film is certainly not for sensitive animal lovers.

Directing is excellent, the stories are human and complex and despite their melodramatic or sometimes tragic outcome, they still leave you with a shade of hope - maybe because the humanity that the author uses to create his characters. There are so many memorable scenes, that I would commit another sin to pick any and describe it here - just rent, or go to watch this movie in the theater - it is worth all 150 or so minutes you will spend. 9/10 on my personal scale.

Alejandro González Iñárritu's debut feature film 'Amores Perros' to me is one of the most remarkable film debuts there is in terms of direction and as an overall film. While he hasn't made a bad film (his weakest 'Babel' is still very good), even if some of his films are very divisive, 'Amores Perros' to me is his best.

It is a long film but don't let that put you off, 'Amores Perros' makes the most of the running time and rarely does it feel drawn out or overlong. The middle act is quite as good as the rest of the film, the pacing drags a bit but not enough to bring the film down too much. The first story is absorbing but even better is the magnificent last one. Even if they are purposely not likable the characters are compellingly real.

Visually, 'Amores Perros' is a very well made film. Very atmospherically lit, edited and designed. Not a fan of the hand held camera technique but it's very cleverly used here, with an intriguing documentary-like style, and is not abused. It's beautifully scored too.

Scripting is complex and absorbing, and the way 'Amores Perros', exploring love, desire, desperation and traumas, is told and constructed allows for many disturbing, shocking, suspenseful and moving moments. It's very thought-provoking too and has real immediacy, as well as hard-hitting emotional power, vast emotional range and is uniquely twisted. Iñárritu's direction is exemplary, even early on his style is well established.

Acting is very good, especially Emilio Echevarría.

Overall, a masterful feature film debut and a masterpiece in its own right. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Director Alejandro Iñárritu heralded the Mexican New Wave cinema with Amores Perros.

Between 2010 to 2020. Iñárritu, Alfonso Cuarón and Guillermo del Toro have won 5 Best Director Oscars between them.

Amores Perros in some ways has a beginning reminiscent of Reservoir Dogs. It has a dog bleeding profusely in the back of a car instead of Mr Orange who has just been shot.

The rest of the film has a jumbled narrative. A bit like Pulp Fiction. However that is where the similarities end.

A car crash in the streets of Mexico links three set of stories.

The first story is about Octavio (Gael García Bernal) who lusts after his sister in law Susana. She is married to his older brother Ramiro who brutalises her. Already pregnant with a second child. Octavio enters the world of dog fights to earn enough money to run away with her.

Luckily the dog he has is a beast who beats all comers. However a rival hoodlum does not like Octavio, his older brother and the dog. That is the catalyst which leads to the car chase and the eventual crash.

The second story concerns rising model Valeria. She has just moved into a luxury apartment with her older married lover. Disaster strikes as she is badly injured in a car crash. When she arrives home with a severely injured leg. Her dog disappears under the floorboards.

The third story concerns El Chivo. He is in the periphery of society and has a tangential role in the first two parts of the story.

He is a tramp who roams the streets with his cart and a pack of dogs. He rushes to aid Octavia in the aftermath of the car accident.

It also turns out that El Chivo was once a well respected academic. A family man who became a revolutionary and was then jailed. After leaving prison, he became a hitman but now sees things differently when he reads news that his ex wife has died.

This is a full throated movie. It is a visceral study of the working class and the underclass of Mexico.

The dog fighting scenes although short can be off putting for some. Octavio is one of the nicer people in the movie. Ramiro is not only rough with his wife. Despite working in a supermarket he is also a violent robber.

Although Valeria represents the aspirational celebrity strata. Her story is an allegory.

The dog being lost underneath the floorboards that is crawling with rats shows how easy it is to slide down. Valeria loses modelling work and her lover wants to get back with his wife. Being with an injured scarred model was not the life he was hoping for.

The more intriguing story was that of El Chivo and his transformation. His realisation that he should had been there for his family.

Despite the harshness of life there is a moral undertone to Amores Perros. It is a confident gritty full feature debut by Iñárritu. The film could had done with being tighter especially with the middle story.

The interlinked narrative was used again by Iñárritu in Babel.