“Amores Perros (2000)” is an intensely emotional, ambitious, and bold film that follows a story of lives that collide in a car crash in Mexico City. Structured inventively as a triptych of intersecting and overlapping narratives, “Amores Perros“ delves into the lives of various characters that are catapulted into dramatic unforeseen situations instigated by the inconsequential destiny of Cofi.

The film is set in Mexico City, where over 21 million people daily mingle with many stray dogs. A place of violence, heat, pollution, and heartbreaks. Spouses cheat on each other daily, brothers betray brothers, and the suffering ante increases a few notches.

“Amores Perros” depicts the toxicity of human Betrayal. The searing Mexican film starts with a frantic car chase when Octavio and his friend chase two armed gangsters from an illicit dogfighting match. Octavio crashes into another vehicle, and we’re taken into the lives of the victims of the crash.

Plotline (With Spoilers)

Octavio is in love with his brother’s wife and wants to elope with her. He devises a scheme of making money to pay for their escape by entering Cofi (his dog) into Mexico City’s fighting pits. Although they have become physical, Susana doesn’t really want to leave her husband (Ramiro), who is a thief. This means that another betrayal meets Octavio’s Betrayal.

Valeria is inside the car Octavio crashed into. She is a model who Daniel, a publisher, has just offered a new apartment. Daniel has left his two daughters and wife to begin a new life with her. However, Valeria’s real love is Teddie, a Lhasa Apso that jumps down to explore a hole on the floor and disappears for several days. This leaves Valeria distraught. After betraying his wife, Daniel plays second fiddle to the dog.

The last part of “Amores Perros” revolves around El Chivo, a former revolutionary. He now lives with several dogs he has rescued from the streets. He at times works as a hitman but misses the daughter he left behind at the age of 2 years. He goes for one last job of assassinating a half-brother of a wealthy brother to leave his daughter some money. He saves Cofi from the crash and adopts him.