Even though Alejandro González Iñárritu has experienced critical acclaim with his previous films, including “Amores Perros,” “21 Grams” and “Babel,” the director is still humbly ecstatic to see his latest cinematic effort “Biutiful” be received with such praise.
“I think the response for the film has been fantastic,” Iñárritu says. “I think it's a film that really gives a lot of thoughts and gives a lot of opportunities for people to feel, to stretch the emotional muscle which is sometimes very stiff.”
In “Biutiful,” Javier Bardem plays a career criminal who, told he has just months to live, tries to clean up his messy affairs and find someone to care for his children. The movie received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes and is now in the running in the same category at the Oscars.
However, critical acclaim does not always equal commercial success, especially when it comes to foreign language films. Even Iñárritu, whose “Biutiful” features predominantly Spanish dialogue with English subtitles, acknowledges that foreign language films tend to be met with borders.
“People sometimes feel that reading subtitles can be a challenge,” Iñárritu explains. “But my experience is that with 'Amores Perros,' for example, or even ['Biutiful'], once people go there … they get inside the characters and the story and it becomes just another film.”
Moreover, the filmmaker believes that the latest generation of moviegoers, with e-mails and text messages being part of the standard vocabulary, is more willing to read subtitles than their predecessors – which Iñárritu hopes will lead to a much more culturally understanding society.
“I think that the world is bigger than a state or a country,” Iñárritu says. “We are much more connected than we think and our nature is very similar. For me, otherness makes us understand better ourselves. It's a huge mirror and when you have curiosity to explore others' nature you understand better yours.”
Aside from being Iñárritu's first film in his native language since his feature-length directorial debut, “Biutiful” also marks the filmmaker's first project told in chronological order. His previous three works were presented in non-linear arrangements.
“Every story has to be told in the best way possible,” says Iñárritu, noting that, unlike his previous plot-driven projects, “Biutiful” is dependent upon one solitary character and his respective journey. “I found it fascinating and very challenging to do a straight storyline. It's classic but it's the radical way to tell a story now.”
And, in Bardem, Iñárritu believes he chose the best actor to portray said character. The director co-wrote the screenplay with Bardem in mind and is tremendously proud of his performance in “Biutiful,” claiming that the actor gave himself emotionally, physically and spiritually to the role.
“The world is boiling and this is just an attempt to express, with all of the excesses and nuances … how, even in the toughest circumstances, one man can find a way to redeem himself,” Iñárritu adds. “For me, at the end, it's a love story between a father and his kids; the last days of a man who has to put all of his things together and what's the meaning of all that.”
“Biutiful” (R – 147 minutes) opens Friday exclusively at Harkins Camelview 5. Visit NCM.com for specific showtimes. See also "Movie Review: Biutiful."
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