Amores Perros is a drama of three storylines all interconnected in some way, shape or form to dogs. The first story is of Octavio and Susana who are brother and sister-in-law, yet begin to form a relationship which later becomes complicated due to dogfighting. The second story is of Daniel and Valeria. Daniel works for a magazine and has a happy family, but leaves them to live with Valeria, who is a model. The third storyline is of El Chivo, a dirty homeless man who consistently appears throughout the film in various circumstances.
The film, with these three storylines, almost seems like three different films. Each of the separate stories has their own aspects of misc-en-scene and camerawork. For example: Octavio's storyline from the opening of the film shows a frantic pace, very similar to his passionate and impulsive behavior. On the other hand, the scenes with Daniel and Valeria are much more subdued and slow-paced, similar to their lifestyle. When the stories do intertwine though, these differences become blurred and the film styles mesh together creating a mixture that feels natural. Yet when the characters' stories then separate again they return to their original states.
This film says a lot for both globalization in Mexico and the lack of it as well through the different stories. Octavio brings a very local flavor to the mix, with a lower class family and dogfighting lifestyle. Valeria and Daniel bring a very globablized appeal, due to her supermodel status and their understanding of things in the outside world. When these two worlds collide conflict ensues though. El Chivo has a grasp on globalization that few know about. This, in fact, makes him a very complex character, keeping the viewer guessing at his real intentions for the majority of the film.
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