Biutiful (2010)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Carlos M

  
  Too sad and depressing, this solid drama attempts to create an unbearable sensation of tragedy that does not always feel genuine. Even so, it benefits from a strong performance by Bardem, who is able to inject some complexity to his character despite the rather artificial plot.

• Chris W

  
  Uxbal's life is quite a mess: he's a sngle father of two, and struggles to raise them, primarily by working on the wrong side of the law trying to help out illegal immigrants. Besides navigating the underside of Barcelona to make end's meet, he also has to deal with his… More
  Uxbal's life is quite a mess: he's a sngle father of two, and struggles to raise them, primarily by working on the wrong side of the law trying to help out illegal immigrants. Besides navigating the underside of Barcelona to make end's meet, he also has to deal with his bipolar ex-wife who is a danger to their kids. Oh yeah, and he's also terminally ill with cancer. Obviously from that set-up, it is pretty clear that the film is bleak and depressing. Death and despair may be at the center of things, but there's still hope and humanity, so all is not completely lost. This is still a tough one to sit through, not only because of the tone and subject matter, but because it's two and a half hours and moves at an unhurried pace. I kinda like that Inarritiu decided to do away with the gimmick of his previous works (playing fast and loose with chronology, narrative, and interconnected storylines), because, even though that sort of thing is fun once in a while, it gets really old really fast. But, even with that element gone, I was unhappy over the fact that this film was needlessly overlong and moved slowly, especially since the plot is rather loose. It's a fine story, but it just needs to be tightened up and not so sprawling. It wouldn't be that hard to condense everythng and still get the point across. Ultimately though, things are thankfully saved due to the nice soundtrack, good cinematography, and the performances, primarily Bardem's, who is the sole reason the film is held together and ultimately works. It's a strong and moving performance, and the humanity Bardem brings with it give the audience someone to really empathize with. I cared for the character and whatr was happening, but honestly, it didn't last. As I mentioned, the film is over long, so there's lots of repetition and the film just rambles. I could only take so much before I began to get bored and stop caring as much. Even with the good stuff going on here, it's not enough to completely save things. I think that Inarritu does some good work, and, as much as I like taking a break from hollow Hollywood crap, pretentious art house fare can become just as stale as that stuff, and just as fast, too. Because some of it does work (and work well), I'll inflate what was going to be a straight C into a mild C+.

• Alireza M

  
  Successes of Amores Perros,21 Grams and Babel were for sake of both Arriaga's scripts and Inarritu's directing.A movie like The Burning Plain proves that Arriaga failed as a director and his movie isn't touching and believable at all without inarritu's directing.In… More
  Successes of Amores Perros,21 Grams and Babel were for sake of both Arriaga's scripts and Inarritu's directing.A movie like The Burning Plain proves that Arriaga failed as a director and his movie isn't touching and believable at all without inarritu's directing.In Biutiful the same happened and without Arriaga even there is no sign of inarritu's vision.

• Matthew S

  
  The world that Inarritu creates is thick and mysterious. In the first 45 minutes I thought it was over-reaching, including the personal plights of street sellers and an underground asian labor business. We become the young child, trying to make sense of all the pieces. We feel… More
  The world that Inarritu creates is thick and mysterious. In the first 45 minutes I thought it was over-reaching, including the personal plights of street sellers and an underground asian labor business. We become the young child, trying to make sense of all the pieces. We feel everyone's circumstances, and we wonder how and why they got that way. And like with children, there is a boundary between us and the father that prevents our understanding of these complexities. What we do understand is that he cares, and he wants harmony. Its this broad thickening of a mysterious world that makes the last few scenes so powerful.

• Jan Marc M

  
  A González Iñárritu transcendental film that features a determined redemption amid a threatening irreversible tragedy, Biutiful is striking and searing blessed with fluent cinematography and faultless performances, notably by Javier Bardem. Arresting.

• Kase V

  
  Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's 'Biutiful' is not a soulless film-its a film about a soulless place. Javier Bardem's performance is haunting and beautiful, and Inarritu's skill as a director is on full display here. The best part about the film, though, is… More
  Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's 'Biutiful' is not a soulless film-its a film about a soulless place. Javier Bardem's performance is haunting and beautiful, and Inarritu's skill as a director is on full display here. The best part about the film, though, is probably the brilliant and vivid cinematography that is crafted so assuredly here by Rodrigo Prieto. Each shot is mesmerizing and unforgettable. Yet as powerful as the film is, its flaws (although few) are very apparent. The run time of the movie is way too long, especially for the amount of sorrow and pity it induces. Plus, the ending (and beginning, for that matter) is unclear and confusing, yet it strangely feels right. For the common viewer, 'Biutiful' is a challenging film that many should choose to pass up. Yet for big movie fans and Oscar-watchers, this film is a must-see.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Look in my eyes. Look at my face. Remember me, please. Don't forget me, Ana. Don't forget me, my love, please."</i> This is the story of Uxbal, a man living in this world, but able to see his death, which guides his every move.… More
  <i>"Look in my eyes. Look at my face. Remember me, please. Don't forget me, Ana. Don't forget me, my love, please."</i> This is the story of Uxbal, a man living in this world, but able to see his death, which guides his every move. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> "Biutiful" is devastating. Not only isn't it a comfortable and audience-pleasing film but in this case the story's really shocking, well acted and directed and, overall, terribly sad. The film is basically about good and evil, death and life and similar topics. These themes are very effectively expressed in its atmospheric and innovative photography. Iñarritu's camera gets to detect images of fierce and brilliance in the squalor. Javier's face is painted with light and shadows, as well as with a sinister appearance suggesting strong contrition and redemption. Uxbal's efforts to make some generous deeds before his death are rendered in a terrific performance, which manages to elevate the bleak subject to a sublime level. "Biutiful" is a work of extraordinary vitality and humanity, with figures of untarnished quality (Uxbal's children and the Senegalese immigrant who'll raise them after his death). On a personal level Uxbal comes to terms with the close death but eventually shows a vision of reconciliation with the life he must leave behind. Watching the film is a really a must.

• Spencer S

  
  Another tale of death amidst troubling circumstances, in one of Javier Bardem's best roles. Particular accolades for the cinematography, bleak yet vibrant when showcasing the Spanish architecture, pedestrians, and hollow faces. The plot was winding, relying on the actors to… More
  Another tale of death amidst troubling circumstances, in one of Javier Bardem's best roles. Particular accolades for the cinematography, bleak yet vibrant when showcasing the Spanish architecture, pedestrians, and hollow faces. The plot was winding, relying on the actors to showcase emotional diatribes, bearing their souls to one another with the greatest of ease. Their psyches were at times demented, most often fervent to the point of collapsing on themselves. The dingy settings made me feel like I was at the bottom of a deep, dark hole, and I would never be able to crawl back up. Things that make this movie less than, include a running time that could have been lessened by diminishing the first and last scenes, supposedly metaphors for the land of death but come off as cheap imitation. There was also a control about Bardem's performance that was somber yet unrealistic. Death plagues this film, but sometimes not in the best way.

• Anthony L

  
  It's fair to say that I've been quite a harsh critic of Alejandro González Iñárritu's films, I'm far from being his biggest fan so I wasn't really interested in watching another but my other half is a big Javier Bardem fan, so we sat down to watch Biutiful. It… More
  It's fair to say that I've been quite a harsh critic of Alejandro González Iñárritu's films, I'm far from being his biggest fan so I wasn't really interested in watching another but my other half is a big Javier Bardem fan, so we sat down to watch Biutiful. It turned out to be a very aptly named film and one of the best I've seen in recent years. I can't quite believe it myself but all the things that have bugged me about his films over the years have all been replaced with pure brilliant film making. Gone has the dodgy editing, contrived story and unconvincing performances but probably more importantly, so has Guillermo Arriaga. Don't get me wrong, I like his work but Alejandro González Iñárritu never quite managed to do his stories justice. It turns out that Alejandro González Iñárritu is just as good a writer anyway, so it's nice that the first of his films that I really enjoyed was written by him. The acting is brilliant, Javier Bardem is always good and this must be a contender as being one of his greatest performances. The story is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, there's no schmaltz here though, the film feels very real, very brutal but all the better for it. I was captivated from the start to be honest, the film really hits it's peak two thirds in but was consistently entertaining. I think it deserves masterpiece status to be honest, as I haven't been this captivated since Breaking the Waves and that is in my top 5 favourite films of all time. Highly recommended!

• Jake .

  
  Quite frankly, I loved this movie. I wasn't totally sure what to expect, or even sure of what the plot was; but it was absolutely incredible. It's stereotypically artsy, but not pretentious; it feels the way it does, because that's how it must be. All the elements blend… More
  Quite frankly, I loved this movie. I wasn't totally sure what to expect, or even sure of what the plot was; but it was absolutely incredible. It's stereotypically artsy, but not pretentious; it feels the way it does, because that's how it must be. All the elements blend so well together, the surreal, horrific, loving, familiar; they all feel unified. Javier Bardem is incredible; while the role itself isn't necessary a memorable, standout character, it is impossible to imagine anyone else as Uxbal. I loved this, all around. It's a timeless musing on life, love, dysfunctions and horrror, the overlap and the past and present, and what it all means. Ultimately, where it all ends, even at its dirtiest, life is still beautiful.

• Everett J

  
  Alejandro González Iñárritu directed two of the best dramas of the last decade, "Babel" and "21 Grams". "Biutiful" fits perfectly next to those 2 in it's depressing tone, but it is no where near as good. Javier Bardem is very good, not quite… More
  Alejandro González Iñárritu directed two of the best dramas of the last decade, "Babel" and "21 Grams". "Biutiful" fits perfectly next to those 2 in it's depressing tone, but it is no where near as good. Javier Bardem is very good, not quite deserving of the Oscar nomination he received though. He isn't the problem here, the problem is Iñárritu's directing and storytelling. This movie moves very slow and is way to long at 2 hours and 27 minutes. "Babel" was a bit slow, but it had spurts of very dramatic moments(the maid getting busted at the border is amazing film-making). Here there is no action, just lots of sorrow and reflection. I mean, I get it, it's about a dad who has cancer and is filled with regret about his life and not wanting to leave his children alone. But really, movies are designed to entertain, and honestly there is very little entertainment value here. The movie is in Spanish, and the DVD I had didn't have an English dub, so you will need to watch with subtitles. If you are a Bardem fan, then go ahead and give it a shot as he does good. But if you want to watch an emotional drama, then check out "Babel" or especially "21 Grams", they'll show you what Iñárritu can really do.

• Cynthia S

  
  Javier Bardem made this worth watching for me. I think that his acting is just brilliant. This movie is proof that great acting does not necessarily produce a great movie, however. Having said that, it is also difficult to be enthusiastic about a film that has death as a central theme… More
  Javier Bardem made this worth watching for me. I think that his acting is just brilliant. This movie is proof that great acting does not necessarily produce a great movie, however. Having said that, it is also difficult to be enthusiastic about a film that has death as a central theme to the plot. That alone made for one very long, painful, depressing ordeal.

• Steven C

  
  "Biutiful" is Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu's most ambitious film. It's ambitious because Inarritu takes his formula of disparate characters and themes pulled together by violence and transplants them inward, into a single character. The character development and… More
  "Biutiful" is Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu's most ambitious film. It's ambitious because Inarritu takes his formula of disparate characters and themes pulled together by violence and transplants them inward, into a single character. The character development and violence is all unseen. Inarritu is known for his globally expansive melodramas and violent cohesion of characters but he moves in much more interesting ways with "Biutiful." Because the violence is unseen (cancer, a gas leak, mental disorders, ghosts), the fear of it striking is palpable, death can appear at any moment. Inarritu uses this mood to make the picture feel cohesive and it works. It helps make the more curious aspects (Uxbal's part time job as a medium, his cocaine fueled nightclub experience) fit with the more tangible (his relationship with his children) ones. Special attention should be paid to Javier Bardem who ultimately makes the film congeal. His emotionally masterful performance grounds the unfocused aspects of the film and keeps the 2 and a half hour runtime from dragging. Bardem is fantastic at reflecting a characters inner violence (weather it be emotional, like the longing for his son in "Eat Pray Love" or otherwise, like his silent, murderous rampage in "No Country for Old Men). In "Biutiful" he is a man ravaged by cancer and fate and the violence of those two experiences is written all over him. "Biutiful" is without question an odd experience but it is most certainly a devastating and intriguing one.

• Fernando Rafael Q

  
  Gripping poem on the inevitability of death, grief and love. A masterpiece and director Alejandro González Iñárritu's best work to date. Guess his public breakup with writer Guillermo Arriaga didn't hurt his career at all. Biutiful is the Mexican entry for the "Best… More
  Gripping poem on the inevitability of death, grief and love. A masterpiece and director Alejandro González Iñárritu's best work to date. Guess his public breakup with writer Guillermo Arriaga didn't hurt his career at all. Biutiful is the Mexican entry for the "Best Foreign Language Film" category at next year's Academy Awards. Javier Bardem's tour-de-force performance receives excellent support from Maricel Álvarez (who plays his bipolar, alcoholic wife) and Guillermo Estrella (his son Mateo).

• Pedro H

  
  <i> Biutiful </i> Not so Biutiful A <b>incomprehensible</b> and disturbing movie that personally didn't get my attention or effect me in anyway. Besides the acting, and the soundtrack this movie in my opinion becomes complicated to a point where its… More
  <i> Biutiful </i> Not so Biutiful A <b>incomprehensible</b> and disturbing movie that personally didn't get my attention or effect me in anyway. Besides the acting, and the soundtrack this movie in my opinion becomes complicated to a point where its almost pointless. The story revolves around Uxbal, a father who struggles to maintain dignity. From working on the underground, Uxbal seeks redemption and becomes a tragic hero. The Acting is <b>extraordinary</b>, Bardem does a wonderful job every second he is on screen. His performance is mindblowing and really touches everyone in the audience. The soundtrack and the silent scenes are by far the best thing this movie has to offer, the silent scenes are powerful and truly worth it. However, everything else a movie needs, this movie lacks. The plot is almost boring and to some extent repetitive, making the movie seem <b>unending</b>. The everlasting tragedy becomes cocky and therefore makes this a really boring movie. Overall a boring movie with a powerful perfomance, yet I had a hard time understanding it and therefore it kinda...sucked. <u>Uxbal:</u> <i>Look in my eyes. Look at my face. Remember me, please. Don't forget me, Ana. Don't forget me, my love, please.</i>

• Manu G

  
  This is one very good film, but I gotta say this film might not be for everyone because of the complexity and depressing style it brings. It is indeed grim... and human. Like life, and perhaps a reflection of these days, not everything ends up happily ever after... we all are… More
  This is one very good film, but I gotta say this film might not be for everyone because of the complexity and depressing style it brings. It is indeed grim... and human. Like life, and perhaps a reflection of these days, not everything ends up happily ever after... we all are surviving each day in our own ways. This is not the film that you go to to escape from reality... it's reality facing right back at you. It paints a perspective on the lives of those living on the frayed edges of our society, in every part of the world. It is not Bardem's best role as an actor but still did an excellent job. The director as always does great movies so keep them coming. This is a story of a man in free fall. On the road to redemption, darkness lights his way. Connected with the afterlife, Uxbal is a tragic hero and father of two who's sensing the danger of death. He struggles with a tainted reality and a fate that works against him in order to forgive, for love, and forever.

• c0up  

  
  'Biutiful'. Powerful, tough going, a fantastic Javier Bardem and a side of Spain I never expected to see.

• Drew S

  
  I find Javier Bardem's selection of roles so interesting. In films like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, he's charming and proficient, but I didn't think he brought anything to the table that at least a dozen other charming and proficient actors couldn't have. Live Flesh… More
  I find Javier Bardem's selection of roles so interesting. In films like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, he's charming and proficient, but I didn't think he brought anything to the table that at least a dozen other charming and proficient actors couldn't have. Live Flesh and The Sea Inside both suggest a propensity toward characters with overwhelming disabilities struggling to retain their dignity, choices that make a little more sense; alongside that aforementioned charm comes a febrile quality, where seeing him suffer just seems to hurt you that much more. But in No Country for Old Men and Biutiful, he's at his absolute best, a looming figure in dark scenery. The characters are radically different, of course, but Bardem brings a similar quality of haunted determination to both of them: Anton Chigurh to his kills, Uxbal to squaring away a decent life before his cancer takes him away. Though Chigurh is a wonderful character and supporting performance, it didn't give Bardem as much to grapple with as he does here. Sunken and quiet, his physicality and voice alone perfectly convey a man who has had a very hard life that's getting cut down unexpectedly. He tinges every moment of happiness or triumph first with guilt, then sobering mortality, and in some cases even more guilt still, if those circumstances are in the cards. This is a great performance, no doubt about it, but Biutiful itself is overlong and doesn't have much to show for it. Its low-key sadness is appealing, and the theme of parental abandonment leaves a sticky sense of complete hopelessness that can be difficult to grapple with, but...two and a half hours? Far too much. It explores a lot of things narratively, true, and they are often interesting (with one notable exception). When confronted with the extraneous segments, most notably the psychic subplot, aspects of the film that do work just seem like they're fighting for screentime. To explain: essentially, Biutiful posits Bardem as someone who can see the spirits of the departed, which is an interesting conceit at first, but it becomes increasingly apparent that the only reason for it is to set up one image late in the film. The image is great, but I'd hardly call it a payoff for the amount of time the subplot is dwelt on. It's a tool to further explore the sense of guilt Uxbal feels, on a more objective level, but his struggles as a father are so much more interesting than as a financially functioning member of society. Considering there are numerous other ways that Biutiful stresses his abject poverty, the film just starts to feel a little overloaded. Visually it's a little flat, not quite the work I've come to expect from Inarritu, with a few really striking tableaux sticking out amidst an avalanche of grimy apartment buildings. Biutiful is powerful, but unfocused. I don't think this will be remembered as one of Inarritu's significant films, but it's a striking achievement for Bardem, and if you're really into overwhelming grief then it will probably be a worthwhile viewing experience. It's important viewing for fans of his simply to see what in my mind is his deepest performance yet. Otherwise, City of God probably does this one better, if not in a slightly more illuminated way.

• E.J. B

  
  I can confidently say that Inarritu's Biutiful is the most downbeat, depressing movie I have ever seen. At the centre of it all is a brilliant performance by Javier Bardem, who is sure to give Colin Firth a run for the Best Actor Oscar. His character, Uxbal, loves his children to… More
  I can confidently say that Inarritu's Biutiful is the most downbeat, depressing movie I have ever seen. At the centre of it all is a brilliant performance by Javier Bardem, who is sure to give Colin Firth a run for the Best Actor Oscar. His character, Uxbal, loves his children to the point that he will do anything for them, including funding a criminal sweatshop. When he's diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a very short time to live, he tries to reconcile everything in his life. To say he doesn't quite find the redemption he is looking for is a massive understatement. The film is extremely well made, It presents a gritty, realistic flipside to the city of Barcelona, which I visited last year and thought was one of the most beautiful cities I'd ever seen. Side characters are developed just enough to effect the story. Also, the film is shot in two aspect ratios, something that I found quite daring and significant. If you can handle it, Biutiful is a great movie, but expect to feel horrible throughout the entire experience. It makes Requiem for a Dream feel like Amelie.

• moon r

  
  All the technology, all the "advancements", and modern life still manages to hover weakly only a little over "sucks", or at least that's the grim pronouncement in this slightly overlong study of big city living, Spanish style. A filmic stretch towards the… More
  All the technology, all the "advancements", and modern life still manages to hover weakly only a little over "sucks", or at least that's the grim pronouncement in this slightly overlong study of big city living, Spanish style. A filmic stretch towards the poetic, offering much in that vein while remaining as urban as the story demands, one is not disappointed.

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