User reviews

"Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light" – Dylan Thomas

Nominated for an Oscar for both Best Foreign Film and Best Actor (Javier Bardem), Alejandro Inarritu's Biutiful is a story about those who live on the margins: Sengalese immigrants, Chinese sweatshop workers, small-time criminals, and corrupt cops who feed at the trough. Set in the seedy back streets of Barcelona, Spain, Biutiful (copying a child's spelling of the word) is not only about fear and degradation but also about faith in the possibility of redemption. The film not only explores the pain caused by globalization and human trafficking but also delves into the mystery and contradictions of life in which beauty and misery can exist side by side. It is not always pleasant to watch but it is an honest and often poetic film in which there are no stock characters. Even the worst of them are three-dimensional human beings caught in a tangled web of circumstances.

Magnificently performed by Bardem, Uxbal works as a middle man, finding jobs on construction sites for undocumented aliens from China and Africa, and supplying goods to illegal street vendors. He must deal not only with the illegal activities he has chosen to be a part of, but with his own torments - a wife (Maricel Alvarez) who is a prostitute and suffers from bi-polar disease, his two small children, Ana and Mateo (Hanaa Bouchaib and Guillermo Estrella) who long for stability and love, and a diagnosis of cancer that gives him only a few months to live. Uxbal is a character of contradictions, caught between his willingness to do what it takes to survive, even if it means going outside the law, and his love for his family and concern for the immigrants. These contradictions do not always make sense but lend his character a lifelike reality. He is also a spiritual medium who speaks with the dead or dying who are crossing over and provides comforting messages to those left behind (characteristically for a fee).

The film is shot by Rodrigo Prieto with a hand-held camera that enhances a feeling of intimacy. In the opening scene, Uxbal is seen in a snowy forest with his grandfather who left Spain for Mexico, another connection between Uxbal and the spirit world. This scene takes on more meaning by the end of the film. Inarritu throws many people and many situations into the mix, perhaps too many and the subplots do not always gel. There is Uxbal's brother Tito (Eduard Fernandez) who is involved with drugs and strip joints and sleeps with Uxbal's wife Marambra, a Sengalese family Ekweme and Ige (Cheijh Ndiave and Diaryatou Daff) living in Spain illegally, and the relationship of two gay Chinese criminals Hai and Liwei (Cheng Tai Shen and Luo Jin).

When the police arrest his friend, Ekweme, Uxbal promises to look after his wife Ige and their infant son Samuel and Ige takes on the role of his nanny, much to the delight of the children. As Uxbal's health begins to fail, his ties to the crime bosses come asunder, and his relationship with his family reaches a breaking point, he turns to the shaman Bea (Ana Wagener) to seek guidance, ask for forgiveness, and strengthen his connection to the other side. While Uxbal is not the reincarnation of St. Francis of Assisi and has contributed to human suffering, he seeks redemption in the love that he provides for his children, his patience with his wife's condition, and his attempts to reach out and protect the exploited.

As Inarritu has said, "Even if darkness seems to be everywhere, Biutiful offers many touches of hope. I'd even say it's my most optimistic film. Uxbal's character is full of light. He puts a lot into organizing his life, helping his children, loving other people." To paraphrase Walt Whitman, "If you have patience and indulgence towards people, reexamine all you have done, dismiss what insults your very soul, your flesh shall become a great poem." With whatever dignity he has left and after much resistance, Uxbal comes to terms with his own mortality, helping him to move beyond guilt and despair to confirm the beauty and preciousness of life.

"Biutiful" is a sublime and intense epic - and possibly the best film of the year. Even though its setting is very different, the film shares themes with "American Beauty", and succeeds in creating something close to a modern myth. It tells the story of Uxbal, the tough but loving single father of two young children, separated from his self-destructive bi-polar wife. He scrapes a living in the backstreet black economy of Barcelona, where he operates as a middleman for those who exploit illegal immigrant labor. Uxbal possesses the psychic ability to convey messages from the recently deceased - and sometimes he compromises his principles by accepting payment for this gift.

Uxbal's conflicted way of life reflects the essential human condition - trapped between the spiritual and material worlds. When he learns that he's terminally ill with cancer, his body seems to be manifesting his inner discord. After learning his fate, Uxbal begins searching for a trustworthy person to raise his two children after his death - and "Biutiful" tells of his struggle to accomplish this task while dark forces throw obstacles in his path. Those who have seen Inarritu's previous film "Amores Perros" will find themselves in familiar territory as Uxbal weaves his way through multitudes of desperate souls battling for survival. On the surface there's only the brutality of a dog-eat-dog world, alleviated by brief moments of tenderness and self-sacrifice. Hidden amidst the chaos, one can see the age-old journey of the immortal hero towards liberation.

A father's love for his children amidst the everyday life of crime in Barcelona. This encapsulates pretty much the basic premise of this movie, and has said nothing about the content or merit.

I'm sure quite a few reviews about this disturbing but nevertheless transcendent film will be written here. Next to the praise, a lot of people will be appalled, others indifferent, then there will be the ones who complain that Biutiful is nothing more than showing our bad world being bad.

It may be that, but it is also full of promise and dare one say it, love. And it would be foolish to ignore the hope that can be seen amidst the pain and chaos. Iñárritu shows us that we as human are able to care, for ourselves and each other.

And if nothing else, "Biutiful" proves, now officially, that Javier Bardem is one of the greatest contemporary actors.

Felicidades y gracias

This is one of the best movies ever made. Full stop. The humanity, joy, tragedy, spirituality, beauty ... It is all here. This should be obligatory viewing for every student of Film ... on the planet! This movie is an experience.

I had a cousin who had a daughter who was killed by a rapist. Her son died in a motorcycle accident. When she was in her forties, she contracted brain cancer. Sometimes life in its random way picks out certain individuals for a bevy of pain. It was really hard to watch this film because despite the terrible decisions this man made, he still didn't deserve the circumstances that reveal themselves. The movie drags us through a cesspool from which there is no escape. The only thing one can feel some solace for is that despite the errors of his life, this man is loved. Even though it is in a small measure, he would gladly change his situation. The acting is superb and the direction captures us from the first scene. I can't recommend this film unless you are willing to be brought to the brink.

It's hard to say enough about this movie. It's almost more than one bargains for from a movie and, yet, it's embrace is deeply, though not subtly, nuanced. It feels a little like the desecration of poetry to try to decipher how Biutiful manages to be so beautiful. Script, music, casting, the actors' ensemble, sound direction especially for Bardem's voice, and photography that indulged, not only the details of life in that place, but also featured the topography of Bardem's fascinating face in all of the emotional details of the story, so real that you might have to remind yourself that you weren't part of the story itself.

A completely dark drama film, from filthy locations to lighting and music. In my opinion, the best game was Javier Bardem.

The story is just a gem. There's no good or bad people, just people trying to get ahead in life with what they have. Great acting.

I have given it a 9 instead of a 10 because the undeveloped gay story was unnecessary and I couldn't understand the spiritual medium activity.

This film is pretty sad. I'm not going to lie. And that takes a lot coming from me. ( I'm a pretty pessimistic guy) But what this films does, it does well and it is helped by one of the greatest foreign actors of our time, Javier Bardem.

Uxbal is a low level criminal boss who lives with his 2 kids in a small apartment. He's divorced from his wife, who is an alcoholic and partially insane/ bipolar. He controls some of the darker parts of the Spanish underworld, like Chinese sweatshop workers and African American vendors who sell off the cheaply made goods. And oh yeah he can communicate with the dead. You would think the story would be about that last statement and it sort is but it's more of a plot point. Uxbal is recently diagnosed with Cancer and he is set to die within 6 months. So the movie is him trying to set up his kids and businesses to succeed when he's gone. The film paints a very realistic picture of what happens. It's not sugar coated and everything goes well.. He fails at doing at lot but what the film does is post a really great picture of a dying man in desperate attempts to give something back into life. Javier Bardem performance is also outstanding. He has the most range of human emotions of actors of our time. This performance like many people say is reminiscent of Marlon Brando's in Last Tango in Paris. The cinematography at the beginning and end scenes is great but most of the film is average in the category. The supporting cast is solid in their jobs but its really Javier Bardem's show. Music is kept to a minimum which works in this kind of realistic movie. Finally I love the style of the movie and Innarutu, one of the most consistent foreign directors of recent memory.

Overall this film is depressing but biutiful (see what I did there) film which excellent,y showcases an acting talent of our generation. Incredibly touching

8/10

Uxbal (Played by Javier Bardem) is a man in Spain, and to provide for his two children, has resorted to crime, but underneath, he's emotionally torn apart. He is struggling to come to grips with his mortality, and he's hindered by personal roadblocks, including his abusive, bipolar wife. Not only that, but he is diagnosed with terminal cancer, given only months to live, and is barely able to keep it a secret from his children.

The movie is not always easy to watch. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu paints a grim portrait on love and spirituality, but the uncompromising route he took with this movie was probably a beneficial trait. He doesn't shy away from giving the themes presented in the film an intimate look, and he also crafts the movie incredibly, especially thanks to DP Rodrigo Prieto.

The only complaint I'd have to throw at him is that the film is too long. I've got nothing against long movies, but it just felt like the pace of the film needed to pick up. I think it could have been trimmed a bit, and still retained the emotional resonance.

But even if (And this is hypothetical. I still loved the movie) everything else about this movie was pure crap, I would still say go see it just to behold Javier Bardem's performance. He carries the film, and the role beautifully through his understatement. In any of his scenes, one emotion on his face can explain as much as a whole minute of dialogue. It's by far and away one of the best male performances of 2010.

I give Biutiful ***1/2 out of ****

Biutiful is a film that shows us the deep connection between a father and their children. He has no money and he finds out that he has no time to fix the mistakes in his life. The film is an excellent portrayal of this factor. Although if it weren't for the talented acting of Javier Bardem and the pristine direction. This movie would have been a very slow and painful film. But the whole picture of the film is to show the slow demise of a human being and the effect it has on his surroundings. This is not a film for the light hearted nor the easily distracted. But if you want a film that will touch your heart and squeeze it dry than this is the film for you. It will not please or entertain you. But it is an excellent contribution to the art of film making.

Javier Bardem Delivers A Brilliant Performance in 'Biutiful'. The Academy-Award Winning Star-Actor, delivers his finest performance in here. It's a performance that is haunting, challenging & devastating.

As a film, 'Biutiful' is hard-hitting and depressing. It's lead character goes through a rough time, and the goings-on are sometimes tough to stomach. But, Filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, handles the subject with intensity, and is blessed to have an actor like Bardem to back him.

'Biutiful' is the story of Uxbal, played by Bardem, – a single father who struggles to reconcile fatherhood, love, spirituality, crime, guilt and mortality amid the dangerous underworld of modern Barcelona -- all before his time is up.

Uxbal is a rough person. He isn't a bad person, but he isn't the best person you'd meet on celluloid. Iñárritu, Armando Bo & Nicolás Giacobone's Screenplay is hard-hitting, at times, gripping and depressing. The Screenplay offers a lot of scope to it's lead character, so much, that he gets to talk with himself all through. Iñárritu's direction is perfect. Cinematography is consistent. Editing is sharp.

Bardem is the greatest thing about 'Biutiful'. He becomes Uxbal from the very first scene, and leaves you spell-bound. An Oscar-Nominated Performance, that deserves distinction marks. Bardem, who also managed to leave his fans awe-struck with his performances in 'The Sea Inside & his Oscar-Winning performance in 'No Country For Old Man', proves his range yet again!

On the whole, A Well-Made, Hard-Hitting film, with Bardem delivering a performance, that can go down as an actor-study in the coming time. Watch It!

Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu is known for his signature multi-protagonist plots introduced in his death trilogy, which included "Amores Perros," "21 Grams," and "Babel." In "Biutiful," however, he zooms in on one character, Uxbal, a single father from Barcelona, facing terminal cancer.

Uxbal is a fascinating character with many good intentions that don't always translate into good deeds. While he truly cares for people (his brother even calls him the Dalai Lama), he actually makes a living from an operation where illegal Senegalese immigrants sell on the streets the counterfeited bags and pirated CDs produced in a sweatshop by a group of frightened Chinese who sleep on the floor of a locked basement.

So yes, Uxbal is a complicated hero, not perfect by any means, but because of Bardem's earnest performance you feel Uxbal's pain, and he also wins you over with the love he so tenderly expresses for his soon-to-be fatherless children, and for the father he never met. And that's what the movie is truly about: parenthood, how people, no matter their nationality, are always concerned with giving their kids a better life. You'll find that most of the characters (from Uxbal, to the police officer, to the sweatshop owner, to the main Senegalese immigrant) are trying to do what's best for their kids. But are their choices moral or even legal? Morality is a big theme here, and the movie will leave you questioning even your own.

To appreciate this film you need to understand Iñárritu's style--bold and bleak and confrontational. He wants to shock you, make you angry, remove you from your comfortable place so you can experience some of the realities millions of people face everyday. Allow him to.

"Biutiful" is worth watching because of the many layers of the story, the stellar performances by Javier Bardem and Maricel Álvarez, and the eye-opening social commentary.

Although it's hard to watch, "Biutiful" is beautiful in many ways, full of lyrical elements, from the first scene to the last.

How does someone confront themselves with the fact that they are going to die? Do you try to fix all your mistakes you made in the past? Are you trying to leave enough money and joy for your beloved ones behind? Or are you trying to deny it as hard as possible in hope that the day will never come?

Every decision you make ends up making everything worse, and you know you are going to die, so the mistakes you make hurt even more because you don't have the time to make everything right.

This movie captured every raw emotion and mental illness that is shown incredibly well.

This was one of the most depressing and authentic movies I have watched in a long time. (No one talk to me for the next 5 days.)

First things first, Bardem was robbed of Oscar! Here, Javier Bardem's character, Uxbal is so intense and deep that only Bardem could have pull it out. The raw emotions he brings to the screen is to die for. Uxbal is not a righteous man but still we sympathize him. That's only because of Bardem's power house performance. I'm glad that he at least won at Cannes.

This is a complete different piece than Inarritu's previous creations, which all dealt with multiple narratives. Here, he tries to dig up at basic level. I won't go much into plot to avoid spoilers.

The best part of the movie is its metaphors. Cinematographer, Rodrigo Prieto has worked as a genius here. He succeeds portraying Uxbal, his thoughts, emotions visually to the screen. That was achieved by grainy saturated images, changing aspect ratio and a lot more. I'm sure I would find many new things on second watch. It was fascinating that how Prieto and Inarritu decided to make 'Metaphysical' element of the movie to be presented in 'realistic or 'believable' way because that's Uxbal's reality. That's the way he sees the world around him. The title name also shares a 'biutiful' metaphor in the movie.

I have always been fan of Inarritu's movies. He manages to portray his characters in gray shades and the way he deals with interactions between many characters in a movie is just fascinating. Visual appeal has always been a great deal in his movies thanks to Prieto.

Definitely one of the bests of last year and I say this again, Bardem was the best of the lot in Best Actor nods.

It's not the best work of Inarritu but I can sense that it's the most 'passionate' work by Inarritu.

9.0/10

This film has many aspects to it and requires more than one viewing. It has several layers, including a theme of redemption through Uxbal's children, Ana and Mateo.

Uxbal basically earns a living through the underground of Barcelona, and provides cheap labor and street merchants.He is also diagnosed with prostate cancer, in late stage.

His estranged wife Mirambra is bipolar and works as a sometime massage girl, her lifestyle is disjointed and confused.

The streets of the city are frenetic and colorful, appalling yet beautiful. The contrasts here are shown through his caring for the children . Mateo a 6 year old and his sister Ana, the actress portraying Ana deserves mention, she is especially sad and effective, played by Hanaa Boachio.

Overall, the photography bespeaks of a lost world, lost people trying to do the best they can to survive. Uxbal tries to help Chineses illegals by purchasing heaters for the warehouse, but a tragedy occurs. His soul is besieged with guilt, also knowing as he tells his fortune teller friend that he will leave is children behind in a hostile world, he does not expect the universe to "take care" of them.

The photography of the city at night especially is beautiful, flocks of birds taking off from the bridge, the steel and cold of the city, a mother walking her newborn in a carriage. There are also some redemptive scenes wherein he helps Ige, the wife of a Senegalese merchant who was arrested, to stay in his apartment with her newborn baby.

There is a good story here, excellent performance by Javier Bardem who manages to get empathy although his character is unsavory in this film. The city and its environs as a backdrop add to the narrative, plus evocative and disturbing photography. Highly recommended.