Biutiful (2010)

Alejandro González iñárritu is easily one of the heavy hitters in directing right now. Honestly, he’s earned it. Almost everything he touches—"Amores perros", "21 Grams", "Babel", you name it—turns out to be top-tier, critically acclaimed stuff. It looks like his latest, the crime drama "Biutiful", is following that same winning streak. It’s already hit the circuit at the Cannes Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, picking up nothing but praise along the way. Word on the street is that Javier Bardem might even snag an Oscar nomination, if not the whole trophy, for his performance here. We won't know for sure until the Oscars in February 2011, though. The film hits limited theaters in the US on December 29, 2010.



IMDB

Official site

TRAILER

PLOT

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.

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Already dropped a comment in the main thread, so I might as well put it here too. Caught this back in the summer—solid, but man, it’s a heavy watch. Bardem is, as usual, incredible. It’s got such a thick atmosphere, and honestly, I thought the lead actress was a really inspired choice. So, when is this actually hitting theaters here?

I suppose this could actually turn out quite well, if everything goes according to plan.

This actually made my day, much like finding a forgotten twenty in an old pair of jeans: Javier Bardem and Alejandro González Iñárritu sitting down with Charlie Rose.!

rustywalker42 said:I already dropped my thoughts in the chat thread, but I might as well put them here too. I caught this one back in the summer; it’s a solid piece of filmmaking, though honestly, it’s a pretty heavy watch. Bardem is, as usual, absolutely flawless. The whole thing has such a distinct atmosphere, and personally, I thought they made a really inspired choice with the lead actress. Does anyone know when this actually hits theaters here in the States?

That wasn't actually part of this thread; the answer was posted over in the chat.

So far, this is the only (actual) review:

The dark horse. Asks:
The organizers actually made the right call by moving the outdoor screening of Biutiful from the truck to the Pink House, mostly just to save everyone from freezing their toes off. Honestly, people started bailing on the truck during AMSFF even though it was supposed to be packed. I can't quite tell if they were fleeing the bitter cold, just plain disappointed with the movie, or rushing off to catch that TBF concert that kicked off around 10 PM at the nearby plaza. It’s kind of wild when you think about it—scheduling a massive concert right as the penultimate film of the festival is playing, almost like some sort of chaotic grand finale? Either way, it felt pretty unfair, if not downright disrespectful, to the film itself.

So, after being part of the last sixty Mohicans who didn't get dragged away by TBF, we finally wound up at the Pink House for the festival's grand finale. *Biutiful* is essentially a beautiful film about a really ugly reality. I don't think Inarritu was quite as visceral here as he was with *Dog Love* or *21 Grams*, or maybe even *Babel*, but he’s still definitely in there somewhere, which is honestly way above average for what passes for modern high-budget productions these days. Bardem is, as per usual, fantastic, though he’s starting to feel a bit typecast in roles where he plays basically living corpses (*Life be sea*, *Before night falls*), so you kind of feel like you've already "experienced" him in this mode. His co-star is some Spanish actress I've never heard of who struggles to keep pace with him, while the rest of the supporting cast stays tucked deep in Bardem's shadow—mostly because Inarritu built this entire thing on Bardem's broad shoulders, which, to be fair, carried the whole movie. That said, if it wanted to be truly great, *Biutiful* needed a tighter script; instead of his usual collaborator Guillermo Arriaga, we got Inarritu working with two unknown writers, and unfortunately, that lack of polish is noticeable. I'm also starting to find Inarritu's increasingly globalist approach to "epic" themes a little grating, along with that overt moralizing rhetoric where he tries to weave together every possible race and social class in one pretentious, all-encompassing web. Personally, I found his previous work, *Y Tu Mamá También*, much more grounded and enjoyable.

Looking at the reasoning behind the award for *Honey*, that whole "less is more" minimalist approach is clearly the smarter move—mostly because it leaves more room for interpretation. To me, though, Serban’s minimalism feels organic and earned, whereas with Kaplanoglu, there’s this slight hint of pretentiousness that just doesn't sit right. I also realized I totally forgot to mention yesterday that the kid who serves as the emotional anchor in *Honey* is absolutely brilliant, even if centering a story around a child is always a risky gamble. Actually, looking back at my festival lineup, it's funny how almost every film I've seen so far revolves around a heavy-hitting male protagonist delivering a performance that goes way beyond just being "impressive." There's also this striking parallel between both films from yesterday: the protagonists are both on these redemption quests, trying to carve out a better life for their loved ones than the one they were forced to endure growing up in such a ruthless world. It's like they're all trying to play by the rules of a dirty game just to protect their own, and honestly, I’d like to believe the fact that these two films share such similar themes and outlooks isn't just some happy accident in the festival scheduling.

The very title 'Biutiful' is this ironic, exaggerated phonetic spelling that perfectly captures how distorted reality can get—the kind of twisted beauty that comes from being a byproduct of globalization in the land where the word 'beautiful' actually originates. Even if Guillermo Arriaga wasn't part of Inarritu's crew this time around, we still have the legendary Gustavo Santaolalla, whose score is just as mesmerizing as ever. And honestly, the setting is captivating too; even though they chose locations in the city that most tourists would never bother looking at because they show the gritty underbelly, Rodrigo Prieto’s stunning cinematography manages to give them this almost magical, painterly quality. To me, the whole movie feels like a dark counterpoint to a Woody Allen flick like 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'—where everything is usually breezy, fluid, and hedonistic, here the raw, grim struggle of marginalized communities casts a heavy shadow over the version of the city we think we know (even if you've seen it firsthand 😁). Ultimately, Inarritu seems to be telling us that life is a mess, but it's worth enduring until death arrives—provided we show up prepared, with our metaphorical ledgers balanced and clean, as if that's our ticket to some better, painless way of existing. Because, as Bardem's visionary character suggests, there's a world of dreams, illusions, and hopes waiting for us on the other side. A place where there used to be just the ocean, salt, water, and wind. That's where life begins.

Anyway, the festival is wrapping up and so is my rambling. 😍

Anyone else caught this flick yet?

I'm planning on diving in this weekend, so I figured I'd see if there's any actual chatter here... let's hear it...

Starting today, the run continues in Los Angeles...

Michael Ortiz68 said:Starting today, it's playing in Los Angeles too...

Yeah, I know, I already grabbed my tickets for Saturday!😉

Looking forward to this one

So, I caught the premiere this past Thursday. I’d seen the trailer beforehand, and since I knew we were dealing with a film from Inarritu, I went in fully expecting something smart, beautiful, and definitely not your typical Hollywood blockbuster. Honestly? I walked away feeling pretty let down. It feels stretched out to two and a half hours—just kind of exhausting and tedious to sit through. The core theme is actually solid, but as a whole, the movie just falls flat for me.

I watched this two days ago and I’m still reeling from it. My advice? You absolutely have to see it... just a fair warning though—this one is a heavy hitter. It's a tough watch.

[QUOTE=electricorca17;31875640]I caught the premiere on Thursday. I’d seen the trailer beforehand, and since I knew Inarritu was directing, I was expecting some smart, beautiful indie-style masterpiece rather than a standard Hollywood production. Instead, I walked away feeling pretty let down. It drags on for two and a half hours, feels exhausting, and is just plain boring. The theme is solid, but the movie itself is a total bust.[/QUOTE

Good grief, man. Do you even have a heart? > is incredible. Look, I get that not everyone is going to love it, but I don't think anyone should be able to watch this and feel nothing. The acting is top-tier. The story is so heavy and gut-wrenching, and the direction is flawless. This is one of those movies that really gets under your skin. Honestly, it took me a while to shake it off.[/QUOTE]

[/QUOTE
Good grief. Do you even have a heart? *Biutiful* is incredible. I mean, look, it doesn't have to be everyone's cup of tea, but I don't think anyone should be able to watch this and feel nothing. The acting is stellar, the story is just gut-wrenching, and the direction is top-notch. It’s one of those movies that really gets under your skin—it actually took me a while to process everything after it ended.

Yeah, I have a heart—I'm not ashamed to cry at a movie if it actually hits home, even being a guy... but this one? It just didn't move me at all. To be honest, I found it incredibly tedious and frankly just boring. I'm seeing that most people here seem to disagree, so maybe there really is something wrong with my taste 🤷

Biutiful should have swept the Oscars. Why didn't it? Maybe because people aren't ready to confront their own mortality. Death is a brutal teacher. It can shift your entire hierarchy of priorities without much effort, stripping away trivialities like Big Brother, reality TV, designer brands, or those over-the-top fancy dinners... while love relentlessly resurfaces from the shadows. Living in oblivion.
If you've ever wondered what pure, unadulterated love actually looks like, Biutiful is the movie for you.
For everyone else, there's a small consolation: Jason Statham is filming a new movie.

What a gorgeous movie. Honestly, I was still reeling from it days after the credits rolled...
It’s one of those films that really stays with you and forces you to sit there and think about everything. Such a shame it didn't pick up an Oscar or anything...
Bardem was absolutely incredible!

[QUOTE="electricorca17, post: 541417, member: 17901"][/QUOTE
Good grief. Do you even have a soul? Look, *Biutiful* isn't necessarily going to be everyone's cup of tea, but I don't think anyone should be able to sit through this and feel absolutely nothing. The acting is top-tier. The story hits you like a freight train emotionally, and the directing is spot on. It’s one of those movies that just gets under your skin and stays there. Honestly, it took me a minute to pull myself together after watching it.
Yeah, I have a heart. I'm not ashamed to cry at a movie if it actually moves me—and yeah, I'm a guy, so deal with it... but this movie? It didn't move me one bit. It felt totally unconvincing, and frankly, I found it painfully boring. I'm seeing that most people here actually liked it, so maybe the problem is just me.🤷

Look, we don't all vibe with the same stuff. Maybe you just weren't in the right headspace for it. I might have come off a little harsh, but clearly, I absolutely loved this movie.[/QUOTE]

So, I finally sat down and watched it yesterday... and man, what an impressive piece of cinema. It really sticks with you! My only real gripe was how slow the pacing felt at times—the momentum just kind of drags, and that handheld camera work gives the whole thing this raw, documentary vibe that might throw some people off.

Everything else? Absolutely stellar. And don't even get me started on the lead actor; he was phenomenal. This is definitely one of those films you just can't afford to miss.

I’m honestly surprised he didn't snag an Oscar. They checked every single box for an Academy Award win. You've got the actor suffering and slowly dying, a Black best friend, an unattractive wife cheating on him with his own brother, and then that final scene that was clearly meant to seal the deal—that gay romance between the two Asian guys. But nope, they missed it. Honestly, it takes a lot of mental toughness just to sit through this movie until the credits roll. Good luck.🙄