REVIEW: DVD Release: Biutiful

Film: Biutiful
Year of production: 2010
UK Release date: 16th May 2011
Distributor: Optimum
Certificate: 15
Running time: 147 mins
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Starring: Javier Bardem, Maricel Álvarez, Hanaa Bouchaib, Guillermo Estrella, Eduard Fernández
Genre: Crime/Drama
Format: DVD
Country of Production: Mexico/Spain
Language: Spanish

Review by: Matthew Evans

Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel, 21 Grams) and nominated for two Oscars (Best Foreign Language Film, Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role), Biutiful touches on a truly astonishing number of themes during its 138 minute runtime. Painting a bleak view of Barcelona, a city one often imagines as being extremely picturesque, it explores one man's quest for redemption and the nature of the human condition.

Uxbal (Javier Bardem) lives with his two children in the suburbs of Barcelona. In partnership with two Chinese gang-masters, he earns a living exploiting illegal immigrants, who produce knock-off merchandise to be sold on the streets of Barcelona. With crooked cops, who are all too willing to take a bribe from men such as Uxbal, this is a city where there is no discernible line between law and criminality. Uxbal makes barely enough money to feed his children whilst his estranged wife, who suffers from bi-polar disorder, frequently drains him both emotionally and financially. Uxbal is a man who is forced to live in the moment and has little time to reflect on the morality of his actions and the effect they have on the lives of those around him.

Given his troubled existence, forgotten amongst the crowded streets of Barcelona's suburbs, his life is turned upside down upon receiving the news that he has colon cancer. Uxbal suddenly finds himself faced with a desperate quest for redemption and ensuring his children are cared for after his death. Uxbal attempts to alleviate the conditions of the immigrants who work in his sweatshop, reconcile his relationship with his estranged wife and, perhaps most importantly, ensure he is never forgotten by his two children. Throw in his supernatural ability to communicate with the dead and Biutiful makes for quite a unique experience…


One of the most striking things about Biutiful is its bleak depiction of Barcelona. If it were not for brief glimpses of famous landmarks, such as Gaudí's Sagrada Família, there would be very little to suggest the film is set in Barcelona, a city which is best known for its beautiful architecture and picturesque scenery. The suburbs of this great Spanish city are crowded with lonely individuals and countless immigrants, desperate to find work. Biutiful does for Barcelona what Scorsese's Taxi Driver once did for New York. Its honesty is truly commendable.

Biutiful boasts a script which is unrelenting in its grim depiction of human life. This is the story of a man who, having been diagnosed with cancer, has little time to reflect on the nature of his condition and come to terms with the fact he's dying. Uxbal's future has been set and, in a matter of months, he will be dead. With the little time he has, Uxbal must tie up loose ends, care for his children and, if possible, mitigate the suffering of those around him (for much of which he can be said to be partly to blame).

Such themes could quite easily make for a rather sentimental, uplifting picture. Instead, Uxbal fails in much of his quest for redemption. His efforts to improve the squalid conditions of the Chinese immigrants result in tragedy and he, in many respects, finds himself unable to show compassion for his bi-polar wife.

Throughout Biutiful, we are presented with a man desperate to change his ways. Questioning his own morality, he makes positive strides in improving his relationship with the mother of his children. A man who is initially indifferent to the suffering of his wife, gradually alters his ways and appears to become more compassionate in his dealings with others. In a rather touching scene, his efforts seem to pay off, as he sits around the table with the family he loves so dearly. They reminisce about the past and, for a brief moment, seem to have found true happiness. However, when his wife suffers from a relapse and beats their son, this apparent happiness is brought to a halt. In anger, Uxbal throws his hands around his wife's throat; a sight which terrifies their two children. Uxbal is suddenly faced with the grim reality that his wife is incapable of caring for their children and that, following his death, they will be left with no-one to care for them.

It is not often that a film dares to be so dark. Tragedy and unmitigated misery litter Biutiful, making for quite a depressing experience. That is not to say such qualities are to the film's detriment. The honesty of the film's script and its willingness to offer the viewer hope, only to crush it so violently, is one of the reasons Biutiful is such an exquisite film.

It should come as no surprise, given his Oscar nomination, that Javier Bardem offers an impeccable performance as Uxbal. Perhaps his most notable trait is his ability to convey so much emotion via facial expression. The film's script no doubt rests on Javier's superb performance, the most notable element of which is his relationship with his two young children. A perfect example of this relationship is a scene in which Uxbal's daughter confronts him regarding his ill health. Having kept his illness a secret from both friends and family, in his weak state, Uxbal invites his daughter to sit on his knee and confesses that he is indeed dying. In a flood of tears, his daughter seems to realise the finality of his condition and they hold one another in a tight embrace.

Aside from the terrific performances, the effectiveness of this scene is also heightened by the film's preoccupation with conveying both sight and sound, as it is experienced by those on screen. In this particular scene, as the father and daughter engage in a tight embrace, we hear the muffled thud of his daughter’s heart. The extent to which this heightens the intimate nature of the scene is most unexpected and makes an already heart-breaking scene almost unbearable.

Sticking with the film's aesthetics, the photography of Rodrigo Prieto is essential in creating the film's intimate atmosphere. From the crowded streets of Barcelona to a loving exchange between a father and his daughter, Prieto's visuals are essential to the film's success.


Dealing with themes such as terminal illness, loneliness, child abuse, mental disorder, racism, immigration and corruption, Biutiful sets itself an almost impossible task. But, somehow, despite its unnecessary dealings in the supernatural, it manages to do justice to many of these themes and offers an agonisingly honest depiction of life. Choosing not to pass judgement on the actions of those it depicts, it opens itself up to much interpretation. Biutiful is both an impressive cinematic achievement and a ruthless depiction of life. ME