An obvious thought - Why a person who knows only two languages – Hindi + English would like to go to a movie in Spanish in a multiplex based on principles of loot? It’s clear that this one is not meant for everybody (incase it was directed for masses, it would have been dubbed and then released in India). However, that is not the case. The movie is released with English subtitles.Rating? This would be first movie where I don’t intend to give rating since it is not for masses; it has a select taste making it valid only for select people.
Story –
It is a tragedy thrown in with international flavour (Spanish) devoid of any masala. So you have the protagonist dying from cancer. His earnings come from kickbacks from illegal African immigrants and Chinese warehouse owners. In return for a commission, he makes sure that these groups get a living (manage to survive in ‘not-ours’ land). His means of getting money may be unethical but his character is not bad. Consequently, you see him helping these illegal immigrants. Apart from the terminal illness, he has two school-going children and a psychic wife, who is a ‘whore’ as commented by her son. Yes! The story gets even more tragic from here on…but story doesn’t have any loose threads and the credit should go to its writer (Alejandro Gonzalez).
Cast –
Javier Bardem is the only person I effectively saw in the movie. This Spanish actor got the limelight at the world scale after ‘No Country For Old Men’ (winner of Best Picture Oscar in the year 2007) where he got the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. In that he gave a mind-blowing performance as a psychic killer; here he is a tragic hero. In Biutiful, every second scene has his presence (something comparable to SRK in My Name Is Khan). Movie is nothing without him. He meets tragedy with grace and acceptability.
His scene presence is filling and the pull he attracts is astonishing (very interesting observation – just see the posters of ‘No Country For Old Men’ and ‘Biutiful’, he is featured SOLO!). But I doubt him getting the best actor Oscar (2011)…Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network was much better.The movie might not have many famous names in its actor list but it sure contains some remarkable works. Scenes of dead children in coffins, dead Owl with eyes wide open, etc add to the tragic feel of the movie. There is a chilling scene where many Chinese immigrants’ bodies are floating in the ocean (recall if you can pictures of scores of dead whales being washed up on European coast! Discovery channel might help you in this). An additional thing to point out is that atleast 60% of the movie (guess it must be more) doesn’t have a background score. Especially the first fifteen minutes, with no background score it sets up the tone for whole 2.5 hour long movie.
Verdict -
Oscar have fetched ‘Biutiful’ enough fame. Infact it has already been rewarded at other movie festivals. But with so very sadistic feel and depressing tone to it, you somehow don’t like it as against its hype. I can recall tragic movies than this one…
Caution – this is a 2.5 hour non-English movie (shown with subtitles), a non-entertainer or something very close to ‘opposite of entertainers’ (bollywood context). Take a wise call for your money!
People who can identify tragedies (not failures) with them can go for it…
Biutiful is beautiful movie in its own right…would like to use a line from Life Is Beautiful
“This is a simple story... but not an easy one to tell”
ps: attendance in the multiplex on the first weekend was good, comprising of more than 50% of foreign nationals.
pps: an interesting observation – Biutiful share the same starting and ending lines…and guess where can you find this same concept. Many! But one noticeable is Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting (he too is in Oscar race this year with 127 hours).
