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Biutiful
2010 148 min Mexico, Spain, United States of America R 18+
★7.5
Drama
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Trailers
Description
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.
US Gross:
$5.1M
Worldwide:
$25.15M
Starring
Javier Bardem
Actor
Maricel Álvarez
Actor
Hanaa Bouchaib
Actor
Awards
Goya Awards 2011
— Best Actor
Cannes Film Festival 2010
— Silver Award – Best Actor
Goya Awards 2011
— Best Supporting Actress
Golden Globe 2011
— Best International Feature Film
Goya Awards 2011
— Best Cinematography
Goya Awards 2011
— Best Film Editing
Goya Awards 2011
— Best Original Score
Goya Awards 2011
— Best Production Design
BAFTA 2011
— Best Actor
Academy Awards 2011
— Best Actor
Academy Awards 2011
— Best International Feature Film
Cannes Film Festival 2010
— Palme d'Or
BAFTA 2011
— Best International Feature Film
Goya Awards 2011
— Best Supporting Actor
Cannes Film Festival 2010
— Silver Award – Best Actor
Key opinion
Biutiful is a visceral, emotionally taxing exploration of mortality and urban poverty anchored by a career-defining performance from Javier Bardem. While praised for its uncompromising atmosphere and technical precision, the film divides audiences due to its relentless bleakness and concerns regarding the narrative structure of the final act.
| Acting | Javier Bardem’s committed and multifaceted performance is the essential, grounding force of the film. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography effectively captures the grim, gritty underside of Barcelona through distinct lighting and texture. | |
| Pacing | The film utilizes deliberate, reflective pacing to immerse the viewer in the protagonist's fading reality, though some find the resulting experience sluggish or overly depressive. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative balance is debated, with some viewers finding the shift in focus after the Chinese migrant subplot to be a collapse in logic and thematic coherence. | |
| Emotion | The film's relentless focus on suffering and despair is viewed by some as powerful and raw, while others find the naturalism to be excessive or manipulative. |