Your past will always catch up with you, no matter how hard you try to outrun it. This is what several very dissimilar characters learn as the result of an inadvertent fire.

In “The Burning Plain,” two lovers, Gina (Kim Basinger, “Cellular”) and Nick (Joaquim de Almeida, “Call Girl”), are killed in a freak accident when a fire destroys their run-down trailer. The conflagration reveals their shameful and passionate affair, leaving a permanent scar on their spouses and children, and an irrevocable hatred between both families.

As Nick’s son Santiago (J.D. Pardo, “A Cinderella Story”) tries to understand and accept his father’s actions that led to his premature death, he forms an unanticipated bond with Gina’s daughter, Mariana (Jennifer Lawrence, “The Poker House”). The two begin to meet secretly, developing a relationship not unlike that of their deceased parents.

In a different time and place, Sylvia (Charlize Theron, “Hancock”) is haunted by a sin she committed in her youth. Despite her successful career and her seemingly carefree lifestyle, she is unable to find happiness in the present, and instead uses promiscuity and self-mutilation as outlets for her despair.

And in another completely disparate world, a 12-year-old girl, Maria (newcomer Tessa Ia), almost loses her father in a plane crash. The severity of his injuries makes him yearn for Maria’s mother, so he sends her to finally meet the woman who deserted them so many years ago.

Due to a twist of fate, the lives of these diverse characters become intertwined. Their encounters with each other help them embrace the past and come to terms with their fears of loss and rejection.

The film unwinds by gradually unifying these characters through different time periods, and by switching between settings in America and Mexico. However, because the plot revolves around so many different people, it’s difficult to make sense of the first half of the movie. Although director Guillermo Arriaga (writer of “Babel”) transitions between scenes fantastically, the audience’s initial lack of knowledge concerning his overall message is slightly frustrating. Until Arriaga’s motives become clear, jumping between characters’ lives feel like watching three wholly unrelated movies.

Nonetheless, Arriaga switches between stories during intense, climactic moments, making the audience unable to give up on his film. The viewer wants to know the resolution to each character’s dilemma, no matter how confusing or challenging it may be to add them up.

Aside from the beginning perplexity of the plot, Arriaga proves himself to be a proficient writer. His screenplay maintains an appropriate amount of realism in spite of its dramatic intent, and it manages to remain thrilling enough to keep the audience in their seats. His creation of so many different character perspectives establishes brilliant subplots that are eventually tied together.

Unfortunately, some scenes are also overly theatrical and exaggerated, and the dialogue registers as clichéd and cheesy. These scenes can feel awkward but are compensated for by the convincing depiction of the characters’ relationships and the exceptional acting, particularly that of Lawrence and Pardo.

They perfectly capture their roles as Santiago and Mariana, creating an innocent forbidden love that immediately draws the audience in. For up-and-coming actors, their performances are impressive and effectual.

A dramatic and emotional film, “The Burning Plain” links the cultures of Mexico and America through individuals with apparently nothing in common. By bringing them together, they learn to reconcile their pasts with their presents, allowing them to forgive what they cannot change.

— Contact Jessica Li