Review of Biutiful (2010) by Ernst M — 28 Dec 2011

What a haunting, vivid, and at times uncomfortable movie. Javier Bardem definitely gives a performance worthy of notice. I mean he gives such a full range of emotion with such authenticity that it makes you forget that your're watching a character. This movie surrounds a man, who is dealing with his upcoming death, who does whatever he needs to support his two children, even if that means he has to exploit illegal immigrants. He attempts to rationalize it as giving these illegals with work when no one else will. He obviously is a good man who just through circumstances allowed himself be taking down into this underground world of Spain. He has surrounded himself with death all his life as he also has a supernatural gift to speak to those who have passed on, which he uses a source of monetary gain. Everything he involves himself in just never seems to have any real positive gain to it.

The director found a interesting way of involving the sense of sound with a soundtrack that adds to the uncomfortable sensation in dealing with the contents of certain scenes. He also chooses to do very subtle visual tricks that remind the viewer of the state of mind of Uxbal (Bardem).

This director only allows the viewer to have the sense of peace when Bardem has passed on into the afterlife. Uxbal only experiences joy with his children but never seems to have a sense of peace. It is a sad realization that some people who live on this earth only have peace after this life.