Biutiful (2010)

Genre

Drama

Director

Alejandro González Iñárritu

Country

Mexico | Spain

Cast

Javier Bardem, Maricel Álvarez, Hanaa Bouchaib, Guillermo Estrella, Diaryatou Daff, Taisheng Cheng, Nasser Saleh, Eduard Fernández, Cheikh Ndiaye, Jin Luo

Storyline

Uxbal (Javier Bardem), single father of two children, finds his life in chaos as he is forced to deal with his life in order to escape the heat of crime in underground Barcelona, to break with the depressed and abusive mother of his children (Maricel Álvarez) and to regain spiritual insight in his life as he is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Opinion

I finally watched this highly acclaimed film, Iñárritu's fourth film, the first after the completion of his death trilogy with Guillermo Arriaga and his first Spanish language film since Amores perros, and never before have I seen a film more aptly title.

Hard to watch, raw, and sad, Biutiful is an intense drama capable of engaging and upsetting the viewer, that portrays the ugly beauty of life.

Iñárritu, who also wrote the screenplay, escaped from the self-imposed puzzle narrative structure that made him famous only to demonstrate his ability to maintain equally high the pace of the film, even with a linear yet deep and complex story, and despite the 138 minutes.

There is nothing beautiful or pleasing in this story that follows the life of Uxbal, in one of the biggest, most cheerful, and festive cities of Europe, Barcelona, which plays a very important role in the story. Only this time is not the postcard Barcelona we see, but the sad reality of the outskirts of this beautiful city, the reality of Spanish favelas, a reality made of suffering, hunger, and poverty.

In addition to the social drama of this contemporary Spain, Iñárritu masterfully succeeded developing another drama, Uxbal's private drama. This man comes face to face with his life, and death.

The only beautiful thing about the film is the father-sons relationship - the scene where Uxbal and his daughter Ana hug is one of the most poignant in recent years, and really shows the fear of death.

Inarritu's direction is perfect, and Rodrigo Prieto's cinematography wonderfully captures Uxbal's emotions on screen and the ugly beauty of this Barcelona.

Now I must mention that Javier Bardem was robbed of an Oscar. After The Sea Inside and No Country for Old Men, he gives yet another outstanding performance, filled with humanity. Uglier and greyish, Bardem not only carries the whole film, but also seems to carry the weight both of emotional and psychical pain. Theatrical actress Maricel Álvarez does a wonderful job in her first film, playing Marambra, Uxbal's wife, in a very convincingly way.

However, I have a complaint: the subplots. While I appreciated the one with Senegalese immigrants, and the Chinese one, as they are crucial in the character's redemption, I didn't understand the purpose of the gay relationship between the two Chinese.

Quotes

Ana: Dad! How do you spell "beautiful"?
Uxbal: Like that, like it sounds.

Amores perros (2000)

Genre

Drama | Thriller

Director

Alejandro González Iñárritu

Country

Mexico

Cast

Gael García Bernal, Álvaro Guerrero, Goya Toledo, Vanessa Bauche, Emilio Echevarría, Jorge Salinas, Marco Pérez, Rodrigo Murray, Humberto Busto, Gerardo Campbell, Rosa María Bianchi, Dunia Saldívar, Adriana Barraza, José Sefami, Lourdes Echevarría

Storyline

Three stories of life along the margins in Mexico City resolve with a fatal car accident. Octavio (Gael García Bernal) is trying to raise enough money to run away with his sister-in-law (Vanessa Bauche), and decides to enter his dog Cofi into the world of dogfighting. After a dogfight goes bad, Octavio flees in his car, running a red light and causing the accident. Daniel (Álvaro Guerrero) and Valeria's (Goya Toledo) newfound bliss is prematurely ended when she loses her leg in the accident. El Chivo (Emilio Echevarría) is a homeless man who cares for stray dogs and is there to witness the collision.

Opinion

Debut feature of a young Mexican director who turned out to be a superb filmmaker, Amores perros is a pure, violent, angry, bitter yet poetic and sensual picture of human life.

Central figure of the film, as the title suggests, is that of the dog, that in each of the three stories perfectly represents its protagonists. Furious as the protagonists of the first story that pulls their animals into fights, and are not able to respect life in all its forms. Naive and helpless as the model of the second story, a beautiful metaphor of today's woman, grew up in a society that consider her an object. And lastly, stray and wandering as their owner in search for redemption, author of a spectacular final monologue.

Mexico City, imprinted in the harrowing photography by Rodrigo Prieto, causes a collision between the rich and easy lives of Daniel and Valeria and those drifted of Octavio, Ramiro, and Susana, right on the day everyone believes happiness is within reach, thus changing the course of their lives forever.

In addition to the dogs, and the city, the other figure that stands out is that of El Chivo, present in all the stories, that seems to try merge the two worlds, that, however, can me united only be the love for dogs, and the sense of abandonment.

Besides from the superb writing, direction and narrative structure that everyone seems to mention, I'd like to point out the outstanding soundtrack, a dramatic mix of Hispanic rock-rap tracks.

The dogfighting scenes are noteworthy. Raw, and hard to watch - problem that doesn't arise when it comes to humans fighting -, the editing behind those sequences is spectacular, since dogs were actually just playing.

The acting is the cherry on top. Gael García Bernal is, as always, brilliant and charismatic, he gives a great portrayal of Octavio and he's able to capture the audience's attention like nobody else. However, the real star here is Emilio Echevarría, who pulls off an astonishing transformation and gives an outstanding performance as El Chivo. Vanessa Bauche and Marco Pérez prived great support to García. Goya Toledo fully captures her spoiled character, and Álvaro Guerrero wonderfully humanizes his.

Quotes

El Chivo: At the time, I thought there were more important things than being with you and your mom. I wanted to set the world right, and then share it with you. I failed, as you can see.