Inarritu's three previous films---Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel---are classified together as the Death Trilogy, as they each depict the exponential impact of fatal or near-fatal occurrences in the interconnected existence of separate lives. They are each epic, punch-packing dramatic powerhouses. But now I see he still had much more to say on the literally infinite subject of death. And he says it with Biutiful, a purely experiential film that pierces through the heart with the acuity of a stingray barb.

The narrative here is a rail tunnel of raw, sprawling intimacy set in an overpopulated, decaying Barcelona ghetto. We follow Uxbal, and we're not entirely sure what he does. Neither does anybody, or him really. Much of the things he does are criminal, mainly mitigating between corrupt police and illegal aliens, with often catastrophic results. He is also a dedicated father to two young children whose mother, his ex-wife, is a wreck of alcohol, bipolarity and promiscuity, and worse, knows her inability to control herself and is in a quicksand of bettering herself. Uxbal also has prostate cancer, which is rapidly spreading. Also, he is internally connected with the afterlife. He doesn't see visions, he doesn't clutch shoulders and see the manner of one's impending death. He purely senses a recently deceased spirit in the room with him. He can do nothing about their situation. He just senses them.

Uxbal's ability to feel the presence of departed souls is portrayed like a sort of capacity to hear noise at the volume at which, say, a dog could only be expected to hear it. The film's setting and happenings are a jerky, spontaneous, lateral rush of urban business, like the sight, sound and fury made by the living to distract themselves from the silence of death. Each scene seems to be a concordance of extroverted behavior and internal behavior, both with equal fervor, yet both on either side of some two-way mirror. Only those characters, namely Uxbal, whose conflicts and dilemmas are constantly internalized, can hear that silence. Eventually, his daughter does as well, and becomes the closest to him, in what one might go as far as to consider the film's climax, a bear-like hug they both know is as fleeting as every other action in this desperate commotion of a life they lead.

Iñárritu intends to drain us. Physically, internally, emotionally. And he cleans out his total cinematic armory to do so. And like death, that is both a blessing and a curse. For however harrowing it is, Biutiful exalts us with the chance to see soul bare, through Javier Bardem's performance as Uxbal. Watching Bardem absorb, involve and ultimately possess a many-sided role like Uxbal's is a singular delicacy, and a complete wonder. His eyes speak agonizing tomes. He hauls from an unfathomably mysterious spring of passion, grief, and who knows what else.

One might be able to delineate that Bardem renders a tragic individual as a fading Barcelona forager who deals in illegal immigrants and connects with the deceased. But every now and then, a story materializes, conveyed in a way that is so sprawling, so comprehensive, that no one premise or implication can classify it. Attempting to definitely describe it limits something that offers the utmost magnitude of whatever an actor's, a filmmaker's, and viewer's, understanding. That is what makes Biutiful so precious.

Uxbal (Javier Bardem) lives in a rundown Barcelona apartment with his two kids, Ana and Mateo. He's involved with illegal sweat shop producing knockoffs and selling the goods on the streets. He gets messages from the dead. He is diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer. His criminal work gets worst with bodies piling up. He allows Ige and her baby to stay at his apartment. His kids' drunken mother Marambra has mental issues and he has nobody to leave them with.

Director Alejandro González Iñárritu is trying too hard. The subject matter is already dark and complex enough. His style adds even more dark grittiness to this sad depressing movie. Bardem does the gruff and harried character to his best. All of it overwhelms me and I got a bit tired of it.

I thought there were several very impressive movies, The King's Speech, Toy Story 3 and The Social Network being just three of them. Although Bardem and the idea appealed to me, I actually wasn't expecting Biutiful to be this good. In my opinion, it is one of the best and most beautiful movies of 2010. The scenery and cinematography are stunning, and the direction is exemplary, taking risks and not holding back and the script is both harrowing and poignant. Biutiful isn't always a very easy film to watch, due to the grim subject matter. However, the story is presented in a moving and thoughtful manner. And I thought the pace was fine, it is not a fast-paced movie but you can tell by what Biutiful is about that it is not that kind of movie. While languid, the pace adds to the grim, moving atmosphere, rather than detracting from it. Javier Bardem is superb, it is an altogether understated performance but his character is written in such a way you connect to him. I have no real criticism, apart from one or two scenes in the middle that went on a little too long, other than that it is a great film. 10/10 Bethany Cox