Biutiful (www.the-usher.com)

"Look in my eyes. Look at my face. Remember me, please. Don't forget me, Ana. Don't forget me, my love, please."

In Barcelona, Uxbal (Bardem) was doing all he can to provide for his two children. Arranging work for African and Asian immigrants, Uxbal reluctantly uses his connection to the afterlife give peace to those families left behind but something is not right with himself. Passing blood and suffering from extreme pain, he receives news from his doctor that will change his life and his family’s forever but does he have the time to put things right?

When Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu releases a piece of work, the film community sits up and takes notice but can ‘Biutiful’ keep up his extraordinarily high standards?

Nominated for two Academy Awards and winner for numerous critical awards at festivals and ceremonies around the world, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is one of the most respected and influential filmmakers to ever have come out of Mexico. From his stunning debut with ‘Amores Perros’, the powerhouse that was ’21 Grams’ and the critical revelation that was ‘Babel’, a film by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu always made you sit up and take notice. His fourth feature is probably his most personal film yet and is dedicated to his father but there is something about ‘Biutiful’ that will leave you a little empty.

The film is about the fall of an average man, a man doing this best to get by and provide for his two children. With an ex-wife who suffers from bipolar disorder and a job that sees him mixing with the very underbelly of Barcelona, Uxbal has to also come to terms with a gift that allows him to help the dead move onto the afterlife. A social commentary on the state of immigration and the exploitation of foreign workers in the Spanish city, the main emphasis of the piece is Uxbal’s journey and acceptance of his own mortality but the film becomes far too bogged down with inconsequential storylines and plot points. The relationship between boss of the Asian sweatshop and his second in command has no development and is not necessary. The fact that Uxbal is able to communicate with the dead is also completely unnecessary and it only really introduced to escalate the image of a tragic incident that is already so traumatic that the inclusion of a supernatural element is nothing more than just a visual trick.

The film is about one thing and one thing only however and that is the powerhouse performance of Javier Bardem. The Oscar winning actor graces almost every scene and as Uxbal he creates a man who is struggling to cope with what life has thrown at him. Bardem is one of those acted so gifted that he can convey more a look that most can do with a full page of dialogue and this film is a showcase of that talent. To witness Uxbal’s fall is to fall Barden on a journey from the family man to someone desperate to cling onto every last breath in his body until that moment of clarity and calm that all of us long for.

‘Biutiful’ gives Javier Bardem the chance again to show that he is one of the best actors working today but it is unfortunate that Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s slight disjointed and overly indulgent script does not give him the showcase he deserves. The film is worth watching for Bardem’s presence alone but it will not make want to visit Barcelona and it will not leave you feeling anything but slightly depressed as it draws to a conclusion.

Extras:

Director’s Flip Notes (making of)
Javier Bardem Interview
Maricel Álvarez interview
Eduard Fernández interview
Trailers
Biutiful crew

The Usher Home | Hush, Hush... | The Big Story | The Usher Speaks

Stuck @ Home | Coming Soon | Links | Contact the Usher

2011