Biutiful [DVD]

A truly beautiful film!Uxbal lives a life of petty crime in order to provide for his family and to get by through the daily struggles in a poor suburb of Barcelona. As we watch his personal struggles enfold to more dramatic proportions and get to understand the roots of his hardened character, a very human portrait surfaces and tells us a story about a father who fights relentlessly for his family whilst he tries to sort out relations in the process of his dying. Biutiful is raw but honest and as we briefly see by his dealings with others who resort to petty crime, Uxbal's dramatic struggles in an unfair society where everyone is made to fight for themselves are just a few of the many struggles experienced (albeit often hidden) by too many in our society to this day. Nothing seems to work and every endeavor to amend problems results in more drama. The title of the film underpins the main thought of the film: it is (spelled) wrong, but comes from a good place.

I would give the most stars not to director Inarritu or even to Javier Bardem but to the production designer Brigitte Broch whose stunning work together with the the Mexican cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto makes Barcelona look like Mexico City! The film's one flaw is the casting of Maricel Alvarez as Uxbal (Bardem)'s estranged wife. She is an excellent actor and played the part perfectly but because she is not beautiful it is impossible to attribute a motive to Uxbal (and his brother Tio's) fatal attraction to her. In Hitchcockian terms the characters motivations are not evident. I feel that Marambra's role needed to be played by a woman who looks like she is irresistible to men, and this would have at the same time reduced the film's excessive grimness. As it is, the only beauty in this film, apart from the quality of Bardem's acting, is in the viscerally realistic production and cinematography.

I didn't buy this film for the title, I bought it on the strength of the reviews I had read, and the presence of Javier Bardem. I was not disappointed. Bardem carries this film on his shoulders. Bardem plays a victim who refuses to lie down, a modern day would-be Robin Hood whose Sherwood Forest is darkest Barcelona and whose Maid Marion is on a downward spiral to oblivion.This is not a film to be watched if you are depressed. The storyline leads you to a point where you start to wonder if things can get any worse, and they do, again, and again until you are searching for that one glimmer of light that will make everything right again. Whether you find it, depends on your mood.The film is, beautifully shot, powerfully acted, painstaingly directed. It is an emotional roller-coaster. Five stars, no worries.

A thought-provoking film that looks at the stark realities of life for the less privileged. Despite it's name, it is a dark and brooding film with only a faint glimmer of hope, if at all. But then, it tries to be a true commentary of the human condition.The film is superbly crafted by Innaritu and Bardem's performance is outstanding as always.

Like Frozen River, I selected this movie after hearing an interview with Javier Bardem on NPR Fresh Air (podcast/US National Public Radio program), following his Oscar nomination for his performance in the film. I am also a fan of Inarritu, his film Amores Perros is one of my favorite. Bardem spoke a lot about what it meant to him to star in a film which featured the other side of the city he grew up in, which people don't realize exists.Biutiful is consistent with Inarritu's other films which deal with the 'grittier' side of life. Bardem is a single father (separated) dealing with a personal illness while trying to make sure his children are taken care of.Other people say the film is hard and depressing. Could be. But I think it's real, and attempts to show how/why people make bad decisions, but without justifying those choices.Bardem is convincing in his performance.I would watch it again.

Every now and then a film comes along and engages you completely and draws you into its world and Biutiful manages that completely, for me anyway.Cancer, immigration, spirituality, death, greed, love, relationships, corruption, loyalty...just some of the themes in two hours or so of stunning film-making. Never over-sentimental, not cliche-ridden, the film hits on these issues directly yet sensitively. Heartbreakingly good acting from Javier Bardem (Uxbal) makes the film, his presence throughout a combination of gentle and tortured at the same time.The film is raw yet sensitive, harsh yet tender....this is without doubt Alejandro González Iñárritu's darkest film to date yet there is hope within it. Wonderful photography and acting, issues dealt with head-on...all in all a terrific film.

Here's a side to sunny Spain, and/or beautiful Barcelona, that gives much food for thought. The story is age old, the quest of a ruined hulk of a man to provide for his young in edge of the abyss circumstances. the hard look at the exploitation of illegal migrants to prop up the business run by villains is sobering. The real worth lies in Bardem's performance, a tour de force of a kind

Biutiful is an excellent movie, if not quite problematic. I think it holds onto these problems with a deep intention, and uses them to great effect, however, it can be quite disconcerting at times and as such might not be everyones cup of tea. For a more mainsteam example of the director's film style, see Babel, which may suit more people.