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Biutiful Stars: Javier Bardem, Maricel Alvarez, Hanaa Bouchaib, Diaryatou Daff and Guillermo Estrella Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Scriptwriter: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Armando Bo and Nicholas Giacobone Cinematographer: Rodrigo Prieto Composer: Gustavo Santaolalla Country of Origin: Mexico (Subtitled) Roadside Attractions Rating: R for themed material, nudity and language Running Length: 148 minutes Biutiful is a harrowing story of one man’s slow descent into death. Javier Bardem plays Uxbal, a scruffy looking thug, as someone with a bit of heart still left in him, but the exterior is rough. Here is a look at a man who makes a living on the outside of the law, making a living but not having the best living quarters. Suddenly, there is to be an immediate life style change. Uxbal has a wife and children, what to do? Or should they be told anything, at all? The story begins with a view of Uxbal’s life. He and his wife, Maramba (Maricel Alvarez), have two children, Ana (Hanaa Bouchaib) and Mateo (Guillermo Estrella,) who divide their times between the two parents now separated. Maramba gives the term “free spirit” new meaning, as she is a masseuse and play girl on the side. When the kids are with her, she sometimes leaves them alone, which is causing stress between the parents and the emotional make-up of the children. There are several arguments between Uxbal and Maramba, but he is the softer of the two parents. When Uxbal doesn't feel good, he undergoes testing and has a verdict of advanced cancer. Trying to make more money, he goes into a scheme with two Eurasian men about smuggling immigrants and nothing goes according to plan. Along the way, Uxbal befriends a black single mother, Ige (Diaryatou Daff) and child, who ends up taking care of he and his children as Maramba slides into depression. Not exactly the Family of the Year, but they are managing. This is a story of the underbelly of life. No glamorous parties, no fancy suits or expensive cars. It is backroom food, apartments with varied-patterned wallpaper, cleanliness in second place and men with hair-trigger tempers. Making easy money at the expense of others is a way of life. Uxbal thinks by keeping his children away from crime, they will have a better life. These kids are smart and figure things out. One can only hope for their future and a friend like Ige. Uxbal’s other business partners/friends are running scared with threats hanging everywhere. As Uxbal, Bardem’s face looks just plain worn out. This far in life and this to show for it? His scenes in declining health are not pleasant and the actor moves as an ill person. Maricel Alvarez’s Maramba is a woman torn in half. Part wants to be a mother and part wants to be a playgirl. You can't have both. Child actors, Hanaa Bouchaib and Guillermo Estrella are well cast, with enough physical resemblance to be the children of Uxbal and Maramba. Their dialogue comes naturally as does that of Ige, who actually barely speaks above a whisper, but whose body language does volumes. It is no wonder Javier Bardem has an Oscar nomination for Best Actor and Biutiful has a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. This is a film with a battered heart that is still beating. Three and a Half Tocks Copyright 2011 Marie Asner
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