Alejandro Gonzalez Iniarritu makes an electrifying directorial debut with AMORES PERROS an energetic assured motion picture that jumps off the screen with a seemingly boundless energy Told in three separate chapters--OCTAVIO & SUSANA DANIEL & VALERIA & EL CHIVO & MARU--the film concerns the issue of love in the lives of several individuals residing in modern day Mexico City Octavio (Gael Garcia Bernal) has fallen in love with his brother's wife Susana (Vanessa Bauche) He begins entering his dog in illegal dogfights in order to save up enough money to run away with her but eventually learns a powerful lesson when she fails to keep her word Meanwhile Daniel (Alvaro Guerrero) has left his wife & daughters for the gorgeous model Valeria (Goya Toledo) but when she is hurt badly in a car accident the strain on their relationship is stretched to its limits Finally El Chivo (Emilio Echevarria) is an ex-revolutionary who has become a paid assassin Saddened that he has lost all contact with his daughter he takes one final stand when an intended act of kindness turns brutally tragic Shot with hand held immediacy on grainy film stock by Rodrigo Prieto Iniarritu's invigorating Oscar-nominated film gets an added jolt of adrenaline from its throbbing soundtrack