Review of Biutiful (2010) by Justin S — 16 Mar 2012

To continue my viewing of Spanish language films, I decided to finally commit to watching Biutiful. I knew the premise of the movie and that it wasnâ(TM)t going to be a very happy film, but it was definitely a lot moreâ¦depressing than I thought it would be. Biutiful is a two and a half hour epic tale of sadness. It is The Lord of the Rings of tear jerkers. It is well crafted, well written, and beautifully acted (especially by Bardem) but you will probably never want to watch it again.

One of the most commendable things about Biutiful is that is really doesnâ(TM)t take it easy when it comes to the subject matter. Really horrible things happen, peopleâ(TM)s lives are ruined, and in general all the news is bad news. There was maybe three times in this movie where I smiled. The movie is two and a half hours long. Thatâ(TM)s a long time to be sad.

Itâ(TM)s also amazing how Javier Bardem can communicate all of his sorrow in so few words. You just look at him and you feel it, he really gives a killer performance. If there was one reason to recommend this movie it would be to watch him and just see how great of an actor he is and what he does with this script. But really all of the supporting characters are great too, and credit should be given to the kids who do a great job in their roles as well.

The setting of the movie is gorgeous, even though youâ(TM)re mostly traveling through run down parts of Spain, the scenery feels very uniquely Spanish. The culture of Barcelona seems to show through, and itâ(TM)s interesting to see the influence of the different immigrant groups on this culture.

Biutiful is a great movie, but itâ(TM)s hard to recommend since there is literally no fun to be had. If you want to watch a well crafted film with great acting, directing, writing, and cinematography, then definitely watch this film. But do not expect to really enjoy it or to ever want to watch it again.