A beautiful tale

So the other night when I laid out Oscar picks I threw down the Gauntlet and said Colin Firth would get it for Best Actor. While I still think Firth delivered a grand, memorable performance and the hoity-toity folk that comprise the Academy will send the Golden Man his way, it's no doubt that Javier Bardiem makes a justifiable case for his performance in Biutiful. (and hey! Canne's thinks so too! [see below])

Unless you live in Spain, Mexico, New York or L.A. you haven't heard much about this film, much less seen it - it's only garnered $2 mil domestically since it came out a month ago. (Meanwhile Justin Bieber: Never say never made that and another mil on Friday (2/18) alone; all according to BoxOfficeMojo.com). If you've never heard of it, I'm telling you about it now. If you have heard about it and are on the fence to see it, just see it. If not for the powerful story of a man trying to do the most good for those around him then see it for the best lead performance and direction of the year.

As the story begins, Bardiem plays Uxbal, a poor businessman, role model, father and literally, a poor man. He soon finds out he doesn't have long to live and attempts to change his life around the best he can. Unfortunately, his deeds indirectly worsen the lives of those he cares about even more than if he had done nothing. This includes the deportation of a friend, the physical and emotional pain of his children and even the sudden, unintentional deaths of innocent migrants. This is NOT a rainy Saturday afternoon feel-good movie. It is a portrayal of a man's struggle to repent and the realistic consequences he must conquer. The direction of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - the camera angles, moments and breaks, the creation of creepy off center actions and clues - make the viewer feel they're in the spiraling mind of Uxbal in stylistic, almost grotesque fashion.

Check it out.