Review of Biutiful (2010) by Ben F — 05 Aug 2012

Alejandro González Iñárritu is particularly talented in a very specific way. The thing that he is able to do the best is describe a vivid, detailed story through images and emotion, and not through direct dialogue. His ability to paint a picture and explain something through his visuals is a true wonder. This is one of the main components that makes "Biutiful" such a great piece of art. Every frame; every shot is a tear-jerker in this film. The wonderfully crafted aesthetics mixed with a powerhouse performance by Javier Bardem make this a movie to truly marvel about.

A father who discovers that he is dying has to put his affairs in order to allow his children to live a healthy life without parents. The mother is a drug addict who wouldn't be able to take care of the kids, so he is on his own. He must find a way to give his children the ability to thrive so that he can die happily. It's story is as compelling as its execution is spot on. A well done story, drawn from unique characterization.

Like I said earlier, one of the things that makes this movie so great is Javier Bardem. He literally gives one of the best performances of his career. He was absolutely astounding from start to finish. The love that his character has for his children is so real and powerful, that it draws you right in as the movie starts. He displayed in this film why he's one of the best actors in the business right now. Certain scenes in this film are something to awe about. There are particular moments that will stay with me for a long time. Iñárritu's talented abilities mixed in with Bardem's wonderful acting make this movie a truly great picture.

This movie's visuals wouldn't have been as wonderful as they were without Rordigo Prieto's cinematography. He's Iñárritu's go-to guy, and he proves in this film why he's a good guy to have. When I stated that the visuals are able to tell the story, its due in part to Prieto's ability to close in on character's physical mannerisms, displaying their true thoughts and feelings.

These aesthetic qualities allow the audience to feel the hardships of the character's. Some people might call this aspect too depressing, but in my opinion, it allows us to draw a closer relationship to the content that we are viewing. "Bituiful" caught me right as it started, and drew me in. There is a reason why Alejandro González Iñárritu is one of my favorite directors. With relentless effort, he takes the beauties and horrors of life and blends them together to make something so powerful and thought provoking, that you can't turn away from the screen. He does this in all of his creations, and "Biutiful" is no different at all. It's a wonderful film, that tells a brutal, but also beautiful tale. Simply great.