Biutiful

Javier Bardem nabbed an Oscar nomination for his powerful performance in this dark, despairing, soulful Spanish drama from Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu. Living in the dingy, overcrowded Barrio Chino neighborhood of Barcelona, Uxbal (Bardem) struggles to care for his preadolescent daughter Ana (Hanaa Bouchaib), and younger son Mateo (Guillermo Estrella). His volatile, estranged wife Marambra (Maricel Álvarez) is not only a bipolar alcoholic but is also having an affair with Uxbal's sleazy brother Tito (Eduard Fernández). Uxbal is a compassionate man who works an odd assortment of jobs, including: running a sweatshop operation of illegal Chinese immigrants who make counterfeit designer handbags and bootleg DVDs (which are then sold by African street vendors), serving as the black market liaison for Senegalese dope dealers, and taking payment for speaking telepathically with the dead. On top of his other woes, Uxbal is suffering from terminal cancer. Biutiful (the title comes from Uxbal's child's misspelling on a drawing) offers an indelible character study—brilliantly embodied by Bardem—although the grim, melodramatic storyline feels overburdened. Recommended, overall. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “Behind Biutiful: Director's Flip Notes” behind-the-scenes featurette (22 min.), interviews with cast and crew including star Javier Bardem (8 min.), a featurette on the crew (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for this character study featuring an Oscar-nominated performance by Bardem.] (S. Granger)