New on DVD: Biutiful 0
Updated: 5/31/11 (Released to DVD)
Original Posted: 2/23/11
In theaters this week is “Biutiful”, a Spanish-language Mexican film starring Hollywood favorite Javier Bardem. It was released internationally last year, but just now is receiving an American theatrical run.
The sudden interest in the film revolves around it’s nominations for two Academy Awards this year. It’s up for “Best Foreign Film”, and Bardem is up for “Best Actor” (a first for a role spoken entirely in Spanish).
When I say it’s “in theaters”, I should clarify that it’s in some theaters. At current count, it’s showing on less than 200 screens nationally (which is the largest distribution it’s had). You may have to road trip to catch this one.
My advice, though, would be to stay home and watch something else. I’ve been trying for three weeks to get out and see “Biutiful”, but due to it’s prohibitive length (almost 2-1/2 hours), it just wasn’t feasible.
Bardem stars as Uxbal, a single father living in Barcelona. His ex-wife is bi-polar and has addiction issues. He makes a living by aiding illegals in finding work (which, by the way, is illegal). To say he’s got problems would be an understatement. Oh, and by the way, his piss has turned a strange orange/red color.
As the piss gets darker, and his pain increases, his concern level is raised. Early in the film, we find out he’s got cancer and he’s dying. That’s no spoiler, as it’s just the setup.
With limited time left on his life-clock, he’s got lots of loose ends to reconcile. Unfortunately, you would hope a dying man would have an easier time than Uxbal does. To say things are tough is an understatement.
The underlying driving force of “Biutiful” is Uxbal’s love for his children. Since he’s about to die, he’s got to figure out what to do with his kids, who’s ages I would guess are 6 & 11, respectively. There seem to be no good options.
The film, though, is too dark for it’s own good. “Biutiful” is anything but that. At times it’s difficult to watch. There are some very powerful moments mixed in with the madness, but the film is uneven overall. It actually would’ve been nice to see this guy catch a break for once, but that moment really never comes. Bardem’s performance is the sole reason the film is getting all this Oscar buzz.
Though Bardem deserves to be nominated, he’s not going to win an Oscar for this performance. I can’t imagine the film itself would win Best Foreign Film either, but admittedly I haven’t seen all of the competition. It doesn’t hold a candle to last year’s “The Secret In Their Eyes
“Biutiful” is overlong and underwhelming. Though it does have it’s moments, there’s just far too much downtime. Bardem’s performance alone will make the film worth seeing, but there’s no reason to hunt it down in theaters.
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