Biutiful

I thought there were several very impressive movies, The King's Speech, Toy Story 3 and The Social Network being just three of them. Although Bardem and the idea appealed to me, I actually wasn't expecting Biutiful to be this good. In my opinion, it is one of the best and most beautiful movies of 2010. The scenery and cinematography are stunning, and the direction is exemplary, taking risks and not holding back and the script is both harrowing and poignant. Biutiful isn't always a very easy film to watch, due to the grim subject matter. However, the story is presented in a moving and thoughtful manner. And I thought the pace was fine, it is not a fast-paced movie but you can tell by what Biutiful is about that it is not that kind of movie. While languid, the pace adds to the grim, moving atmosphere, rather than detracting from it. Javier Bardem is superb, it is an altogether understated performance but his character is written in such a way you connect to him. I have no real criticism, apart from one or two scenes in the middle that went on a little too long, other than that it is a great film. 10/10 Bethany Cox