Film Review: Biutiful

Javier Bardem as Uxbal in Biutiful

Biutiful (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, 2010)

In Spanish, with English subtitles

This is an example of a film that can be devastating and beautiful at the same time. The film is not perfect; however, the searing performance of Javier Bardem and the portrait of the ugly side of Barcelona - the city and its dwellers - somehow, have elevated Inarritu's art, his predilection to exploring anatomy of pain (just like in his previous films, Amores Perros and Babel, which are both outstanding).  In the film, Uxbal is dying from a terminal prostate cancer. His two children are under his custody. He's into some dirty business involving immigrants from Africa and China. And he has two months to make everything about his past and present make sense.

The film unsentimental. While it's beautiful, because, as a film, it really delivers what a good film should, it's not for the faint-heart. Despite suggestions of redemption, the film remains to be devastating in my book. 

Why does this remind of Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru?

Rating: 4.0/4.0