biutiful

javier bardem - star - a-list actor, etc
but eschewing hollywood and doing it his way
gotta respect an actor who seems up for a challenge
biutiful - 2.5 hours of a pointless, depressing story
or at least that's what reviewers and other viewers thought
but interestingly a few others commenting much more favourably
me - no country for old men still resonates re mr bardem
and the appeal of a visit in film to barcelona a factor
so off we go - a totally empty theatre on a sunday arvo
opening scene has whispered voices and a couple of hands
cut to a snow-covered pristine wood and the main man
no explanation about what this bleak scene is all about
as uxbro (bardem) is in dialogue with a younger man
then the main act begins and we're in modern barcelona
modern in the sense of contemporary not shiny and new
uxbro lives and eeks out a living in the city's squalor
supporting his 2 young children and his estranged wife
she is bi-polar, erratic, and demanding some joy in life
sleeping with uxbro's brother tito and partying hard
uxbro earns money as a casual soothsayer and go-between
it's a dangerous life as he runs a protection racket
dealing with local crooks inside and outside the law
illegal immigrants being both exploited and protected
uxbro has a big heart and has empathy with the workers
one of the chinese sweat-shop children minds his own kids
and following a police raid he houses a senegalese mother
this all happening as he does his best as a father
ana his daughter is doing ok but son mateo is suffering
the unfair outlet for tension in his parents lives
there's a lot going on but it is presented naturally
we're well entrenched in life in under-belly barcelona
then the curve-ball of terminal illness is added to the mix
uxbro is diagnosed with cancer and given a few months to live
there's also an accident at the chinese workers dormitory
and the exhuming of his father from a derelict cemetary
so death is now ever-present in uxbro's shambolic life
but to his credit he sets about putting things in order
gathering as much money as possible to set up his family
2 and a half hours in the empty theatre rips by quickly
which says something about the pulling power of this film
totally absorbed i was by this tale of woe and despair
but also revealing the decency of the human spirit
in the end uxbro loses his physical battle
but goes out with his integrity intact
and a couple of amazing final scenes
doing the full circle to the opening
gorgeous music as the credits rolled
and a few moist eyes in the house
bardem strikes again - stunning really