Probably best known to American audiences for winning a supporting-actor Oscar for his performance as the quietly ruthless Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men, Spain’s Javier Bardem is quietly proving himself to be one of the finest screen actors working today. Biutiful the fourth film from acclaimed film director Alejandro González Iñárritu, tells the story of Uxbal (Bardem), a man with a good heart, struggling to provide for his two children, Ana and Mateo (Hanaa Bouchaib and Guillermo Estrella). However, he’s caught up in a world of crime, has a bi-polar wife whom he can’t trust with the kids.
A petty criminal working as a middleman between a Chinese sweatshop that makes knockoff purses and the African immigrants who sell the merchandise on the streets, Uxbal makes extra cash by selling his telepathic ability of speaking with the dead to bring comfort to loved ones. Not everyone appreciates this talent. In an early scene, a distraught mother accuses Uxbal of lying about what her young, departed son has told him.
Diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, and given mere months to live, Uxbal is desperate to put his affairs in order. He wants to ensure the security of his kids, to ease his conscience with others, to peer into the darkness of his imminent demise. Of course, it’s not that easy. Every time he attempts to make amends a barrier is put in his way. Reconciliation with his wife Marambra (Maricel Alvarez), only further endangers his children, and his attempt to help the Chinese laborers ends in a terrible tragedy.
Uxbal is aware of his faults, burdened by guilt, and occasionally unable to contain his rage. Despite that, Bardem gives him a softness and innocence that allows viewers to sympathize with the character. He gives a performance of surprising complexity.
While some may get caught up in the various tragedies facing Uxbal, the core issue of the film is fatherhood. He fears what will happen to his kids when he is gone. Can he leave them with any kind of financial security? Will they even be safe? Their mother is reliable for short periods, but not a long-term solution. While Biutiful is a fine film, it’s not an easy one to get through.
It must be noted that Biutiful is visually stunning. Long lingering shots of water stains on the ceiling, and dimly lit shots of the streets of poor Barcelona, only adds to the feel of hopelessness surrounding Uxbal and his family.
Biutiful comes to Blu-ray in multiple aspect ratios of 2.35:1 and 1.85:1. Colors are terrific, exhibiting striking hues. The transfer sportsgreat depth and clarity; the sharpness is consistent throughout. The close-ups reveal significant detail, and the flesh tones are life like.
The 5.1 DTS-HD sound mix is very effective for this dialogue driven film. The often speak softly, but this mix allows for clear understanding, and solid sonics throughout.
We get the following special features:
- Behind Biutiful: Director’s Flip Notes (HD; 21:42) a production diary consisting of both film and audio that Iñárritu kept while doing the film.
- Biutiful Crew (HD; 4:02) is a weird little featurette offering various crew members rapping and singing as well as working in their production office.
- Interviews (1080i; 8:17) features some nice moments with Bardem, as well as Eduard Fernandez who plays Uxbal’s brother Tito, and Maricel Alvarez who plays Uxbal’s estranged wife Marambra.
