Biutiful

"You don't choose your family. We all belong to somebody, but to belong to Uxbal and Marambra, is both a blessing and a curse."

2010 2h 28m ES

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 1,258

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

This is a story of a man in free fall. On the road to redemption, darkness lights his way. Connected with the afterlife, Uxbal is a tragic hero and father of two who's sensing the danger of death. He struggles with a tainted reality and a fate that works against him in order to forgive, for love, and forever.

“You don't choose your family. We all belong to somebody, but to belong to Uxbal and Marambra, is both a blessing and a curse.”

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Cast

Javier Bardem
Uxbal
Maricel Álvarez
Marambra
Hanaa Bouchaib
Ana
Guillermo Estrella
Mateo
Eduard Fernández
Tito
Cheikh Ndiaye
Ekweme
Diaryatou Daff
Ige
Cheng Taishen
Hai

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Writers: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Armando Bo, Nicolás Giacobone
Languages: Cantonese, Wolof, Mandarin, Spanish
Countries: Mexico, Spain, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 16 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Cantonese, Wolof, Mandarin, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Mexico, Spain, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, shot by Rodrigo Prieto. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Gustavo Santaolalla. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Stephen Mirrione shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Javier Bardem and Maricel Álvarez and Hanaa Bouchaib carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "You don't choose your family. We all belong to somebody, but to belong to Uxbal and Marambra, is both a blessing and a curse.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Alejandro G. Iñárritu directs. Rodrigo Prieto behind the camera. Gustavo Santaolalla scores. Stephen Mirrione cuts. Produced in Mexico, Spain, United States of America. Dialogue in Cantonese, Wolof, Mandarin, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 16 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Cantonese, Wolof, Mandarin, Spanish.
3International production across 3 countries: Mexico, Spain, United States of America.
4Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, shot by Rodrigo Prieto. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Gustavo Santaolalla. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Stephen Mirrione shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Javier Bardem and Maricel Álvarez and Hanaa Bouchaib carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "You don't choose your family. We all belong to somebody, but to belong to Uxbal and Marambra, is both a blessing and a curse.".
9IMDB entry: tt1164999 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 9 themes, including "immigrant", "barcelona, spain", "undocumented immigrant", "chinese".

The technical file

Cinematography: Rodrigo Prieto
Original score: Gustavo Santaolalla
Editing: Stephen Mirrione
Production design: Brigitte Broch
Costume design: Paco Delgado
Makeup / hair: Montse Ribé
VFX supervisor: Félix Bergés
Sound: Alejandro Quevedo
Stunt coordinator: Ignacio Alvarez
Runtime: 148 min · 2h 28m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $25,147,786
Original language: ES
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Biutiful (2010)

Also by

Alejandro G. Iñárritu

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Filipe Manuel Neto2022-07-28
★ 6/10
Essay on the brevity of life. What would you do if you knew that you have a few months to live and a life full of problems and unresolved issues? That's what happened to the central character of this film, a production made halfway between Spain and Mexico, skillfully directed by Alejandro González Iñarritu. The film is set in Barcelona and the main character, Uxbal, is a dubious individual who has a close relationship with organized crime and is far from the likable type that we easily like. In addition to his illegal business, which goes relatively poorly due to various problems and setbacks, Uxbal has an alcoholic, bipolar wife from whom he is, in effect, estranged, and two beloved children who are the real joy he has in life. The film is interesting and tackles difficult, indigestible and complex topics. I can't say that it's the type of film I would recommend to a friend, because I think it's a film that lacks a certain disposition, on the part of the public, to be properly appreciated. It is not an easy film, nor does it seek to capture our sympathy, although it ends up doing so because of the way we see that man suffering. We see beyond what he does and says, we see that deep down he is not a bad man. Still, it's a depressing film and one that leaves us with a feeling of emptiness and dissatisfaction at the end. With this film, Javier Bardem had a character and material tailored to what the actor knows and is capable of doing. It's no secret that Iñarritu wanted him to be the protagonist from the start, and Bardem rewarded him by giving him a dose of commitment, experience and professionalism that anyone who wants to see the film can see. The actor is excellent and does a truly impeccable, deep, emotional job here. The film also has good performances from other actors, such as Hanaa Bouchaib, Guillermo Estrella and Maricel Álvarez, but it is Bardem's overwhelming performance that delights us and sustains the entire film. Technically, what caught my attention the most was the excellence of the resources and sound effects and their dexterous and competent use. It is in the details that the best qualities are found, such as the absence of echo, the sound clarity, the good sound effects used or even situations like the sound of the heartbeats of two actors, when they embrace. In addition, the visual features, cinematography and editing also deserve praise.

Production companies