“Biutiful” – Cate Marquis (The Current)
Spanish actor Jarvier Bardem weaves a haunting portrayal of a devoted single father struggling on society’s edge in modern Barcelona. Mexican director/writer Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu, who grabbed audiences’ attention with his remarkable three-part tale “Amores Perros” (“Life’s a Bitch”), again creates intersecting stories but squarely puts the focus on Bardem, as a father dying of cancer while trying to do right by his kids.
Bardem took best actor honors at Cannes for his moving performance and “Biutiful” has garnered an Oscar nomination. The striking, gifted actor stunned audiences in his portrayal of a...
“Biutiful” – Harper Barnes (St. Louis Beacon)
“Biutiful” has received some ecstatic reviews, and Bardem, with reason, has been nominated for a best actor Oscar. Despite Bardem – or maybe, in a perverse way, in part because of his performance — I didn’t much like the movie. Let me be clearer. Life is too short to spend two and a half hours of it watching a relentless downer like “Biutiful.”
Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (“Babel”), “Biutiful” is set in the lower depths of Barcelona and is the story of Uxbal (Bardem), a minor crook and hustler who is dying of incurable cancer.
To read the entire review, go here... Biutiful – Reelworld (Webster-Kirkwood Times)
Kent’s Take:
Every once in a while, a film will knock you off your feet. Hit you in the gut with a powerful story that just doesn’t leave you. The genre doesn’t matter, nor does the subject matter – what does matter is that the story, the directing and the acting work in concert like a well-polished symphony.
“Biutiful” is one of those sock-knockers.
Carol’s Take:
Uxbal has a complexity rarely found in movie characters. He earns his living engaging in criminal activities. He risks the wrath of his associates by advocating for the rights of indentured illegals. He consoles bereaved families by communicating with the recently... Bookmark Us
