▁life ▁in ▁the ▁sense ▁that ▁particip ating ▁in ▁the ▁under ground ▁economy ▁gives ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁lower ▁class ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁make ▁money ▁and ▁experience ▁mob ility . ▁González ▁I ñ ár rit u ▁was ▁heavily ▁critic ized ▁for ▁his ▁inclusion ▁of ▁dog f ight ing ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁but ▁has ▁said ▁himself ▁that ▁although ▁it ▁is ▁hor rible , ▁dog f ight ing ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁har sh ▁real ities ▁of ▁Mexico ▁City . ▁ ▁I ne quality ▁The ▁three ▁over la pping ▁stories ▁all ▁take ▁place ▁in ▁Mexico ▁City , ▁but ▁because ▁of ▁class ▁division , ▁there ▁is ▁severe ▁seg reg ation ▁of ▁economic ▁classes ▁with ▁El ▁Ch ivo ▁squ atting ▁on ▁the ▁out sk ir ts ▁of ▁town , ▁Oct av io ▁living ▁in ▁a ▁working - class ▁neighborhood , ▁and ▁Val eria ▁living ▁in ▁a ▁lux ury ▁high - r ise ▁a partment . ▁If ▁not ▁for ▁the ▁car ▁accident , ▁these ▁three ▁characters ▁would ▁never ▁interact . ▁The ▁upper ▁class ▁is ▁victim ized ▁in ▁Am ores ▁per ros ▁even ▁when ▁they ▁are ▁the ▁ones ▁perpet u ating ▁crime . ▁For ▁instance , ▁El ▁Ch ivo ▁is ▁h ired ▁to ▁kill ▁a ▁man ' s ▁business ▁partner ▁and ▁eventually ▁dec ides ▁to ▁leave ▁both ▁men ▁to ▁fight ▁it ▁out ▁themselves . ▁Although ▁Ram iro ▁works ▁at ▁a ▁gro c ery ▁store , ▁he ▁also ▁particip ates ▁in ▁the ▁under ground ▁economy ▁by ▁comm itting ▁rob ber ies . ▁Oct av io ▁and ▁El ▁Ch ivo ▁particip ate ▁in