Biutiful (Rhoades)

“Biutiful” Is Beautiful
Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades

Orthography is the spelling of a word according to how it sounds in a language. That’s why the word beautiful is spelled “Biutiful” in the title of the Spanish-language movie that has been nominated as Best Foreign Language Film in tonight’s Academy Awards competition.

“Biutiful” tells the story of Uxbal, a man struggling to put his life right before he succumbs to cancer. Set amid the underworld of Barcelona, this single father attempts to reconcile his failures as a parent, the guilt of his criminal past, and his mortality.

Spanish-born actor Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”) takes on this dramatic portrayal, giving a performance that has also earned him an Academy Awards nomination as Best Actor.

Bardem describes his character as “very complex.” He says, “There were so many layers to convey that I knew it was going to be a hard task and a rewarding one.”

He adds, “Death, for Uxbal, is not the same for someone else. For Uxbal, it’s a wake-up call for him to realize and re-evaluate his life.”

As for the plot, Bardem says, “It’s not an easy movie to say it’s about this, and then you take home this other thing. It’s more deep than that. You have to see it and really have the courage to make the journey. If you take the journey, you’re going to bring back with you a lot of good things. But, if I name them, that will downsize the journey itself.”

This Spanish-Mexican co-production is the fourth film by director Alejandro González Iñárritu. His debut production was “Amorres perros,” but his better-known films are “21 grams,” starring Sean Penn, and “Babel,” with Brad Pitt.

Javier Bardem and his wife Penelope Cruz recently had a baby, a son named Leo, born only days before Bardem received his Oscar nomination.

He says of his nomination, “It’s great fun. It’s a great honor. It’s something that you never dream of. And then, it happens and you are there, and you try to share it with all the people that are so meaningful to you.”

srhoades@aol.com
[from Solares Hill]