Sean Penn: As Much Director as Actor, Even When he's Not

Though he did not write or direct it, the directorial fingerprints of lead actor Sean Penn can be seen all over the psychological thriller 21 Grams. The films he writes and directs are melancholy and highly stylized--and while it's obvious that someone with a lot more cinematic skill than Penn has supervised the editing process, his choice of this script over the dozens of others he was undoubtedly offered last year can likely be attributed to …

…It's a staring contest between his spiritual life and the well-being of his family and Jordan feels that he's less of a participant than a pawn, waiting to move until someone or something has told him what's right. Like the drunk driver in The Crossing Guard, Jordan is so consumed with guilt that he's willing to plead guilty to the law, the victims--anyone who will judge him and let him either die or move on.