Javier Bardem plays a street hustler and devoted father in Biutiful, nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 83rd Academy Awards. Bardem’s own Oscar nod is historic, marking the first time that a performance entirely in Spanish is nominated for the Best Actor prize.
As heroic Uxbal, Bardem is a mid-level criminal who bribes police while African workers sell knockoff handbags and illegal Chinese immigrants work for pennies at a non-union construction site.
The bustling, bright streets of Barcelona are his source for skimmed profits. We don’t know why he’s chosen a life of crime. Perhaps he inherited this dregs-of-society mindset from his ancestors. Still, his inner strength and determination to help others and his family comes through.
Biutiful has a Third World feel. Like Slumdog Millionaire, it lives in bleak, dirty ghettos where only persistent hope sustains us. Humanity can found in the eyes of the poor and struggling.
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s dark drama finds light in the face of Uxbal, both noble and tender, who has just received a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Love appears in the faces of his children Ana (Hanaa Bouchaib) and Mateo (Guillermo Estrella), who pretend to dine on a grand dinner when dry cereal, milk and sugar fill their bowls. It appears in their accidental caregiver Ige (radiant Diaryatou Daff).
Ironically named and misspelled Biutiful refers to a watercolor by Ana. The future already weighs on her. She can see that her father is ill. Uxbal places on her finger the diamond ring that belonged to his mother. The two question whether it is fake or real. To Ana, this does not matter.
Uxbal’s plight worsens as he races the clock. A good man at heart, he wants to make amends for his mistakes. If only his life can count for something. A wise herbalist advises him to set his affairs in order. Uxbal is a realist who does not rely on religion. “God won’t pay the rent,” he quips.
In another get-rich scheme, Uxbal and his seedy brother Tito (Eduard Fernandez) agree to unearth their father’s body to make way for a construction site. The hero lingers with his father’s corpse, perhaps seeking guidance and forgiveness.
Uxbal has the gift of communicating with the dead and giving comfort to loved ones. Accepting money for this service is an afterthought. As he holds the hand of a dead boy and speaks with him, his desire for peace is evident.
When another misfortune shakes Uxbal, he moves his family back in with his ex-wife Marambra (sizzling Maricel Alvarez). Marambra is a bi-polar, well-to-do prostitute. When she departs for a vacation in the Pyrenees with Ana, she leaves Mateo behind alone. Uxbal tracks her down in Tito’s bedroom. He is forced to admit that she is an unfit mother.
Surrealistic scenes and sounds add interest to Gonzalez Inarritu’s creation, which proceeds chronologically and took five months to shoot. The director co-wrote the script with Argentine writers Armando Bo and Nicolas Giacobone.
Impressive Bardem is the reason to see the movie. His craft and rigorous preparation are evident. In a New York Times interview, Bardem spoke about his work. “A character is like a building. I’ve never studied architecture, but I imagine that first you have to prepare the plans, lay down the base, a solid base that has to do with the character, and from there build it up.”
A naturalistic, avant garde vision of an afterlife begins and ends the film. Snow brings a healing chill. An owl suggests darkness and wisdom.
If you like Biutiful, you might enjoy: The Secret in Their Eyes; The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo; Welcome.
Biutiful 2010 / R / 2 hours, 28 min
Cast Overview: Javier Bardem, Maricel Alvarez, Eduard Fernandez, Hanaa Bouchaib, Guillermo Estrella, Diaryatou Daff, Cheng Tai Shen, Luo Jin
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Genres: Drama, World Cinema, Foreign Film
Language: Spanish with English subtitles
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