Biutiful

Unrelentingly bleak drama about a father with a terminal illness trying to set his affairs in order, even if it means breaking the law.  The slums of Barcelona are the backdrop for this chronicle of random events near the end of a man’s life.  The many characters and catastrophes initially lack focus to tie them all together.  What ultimately unites them is actor Javier Bardem at the film’s center.  His sheer desperation is felt in every scene whether depicting his battle with cancer or his dealings in the criminal underworld.  The moments he spends with his kids are refreshingly poignant.  They provide some solace in a story that wallows in one heartbreaking incident after another.  Many scenes document the unmitigated ugliness of life.  It can be quite harrowing,  The seemingly unending barrage of tragedies makes Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables seem like a comedy by comparison.  Biutiful is a difficult movie to like, but it’s too powerful to dismiss.  See it for Javier Bardem’s memorable performance.