Bardem deserves today's Oscar nomination for the tour de force performance he delivers in Biutiful. And having seen all the other nominees, i have to say for me this was by far the best acting job this year; just sorry it has been almost completely absent from the radar. I was lucky to see it in its ONE WEEK run during the holidays in Los Angeles. Inarritu's movies always deal with brutal realities confronted by ordinary people, without manipulating the audience's sentiments or insulting their intelligence. Bardem's increasingly desperate father never loses his dignity, his yearning to connect, his desire to confront his reality without succumbing to despair, and his efforts to let his family savor every moment of his love are achingly acted. Run, don't walk to the movies if you want to see a serious movie about serious matters in a beautifully written, wonderfully shot and poetically directed work of art. A master class in acting, and a winner in every way! Felicidades Sr. Bardem!

Being a huge Javier Bardem fan, I was eager to see Biutiful, without knowing in advance much about the story of the movie. While I was certainly not disappointed with any aspect of this movie, including wonderful acting performances, precise, skillful direction and a gripping story, I was not prepared for the depth of sadness and despair the movie conveyed, with an incredibly realistic look at lives of people with no candy coating of how trying and downright frightening people's lives can be, mostly in an attempt to survive and maintain family and other relationships. This movie seems to force the viewer to participate in the reality of all of this despair, which is an amazing feat. There is subtle, very well executed cinematography throughout as well. I look forward to viewing it again, (although need for a few months to pass before I do because of the intensity) because it has so many messages and metaphors that most can relate to on some level.

If you see one film this year with subtiles, make it this one. The story of a single father trying to raise two kids, while looking out for the well being of other members in his community; including his ex-wife. He also has found out that he has cancer and only has a few months to live. This frightens him because his father left him him when he was there age and doesnt rember him that well; he fears his kids will forget him one day. Throughout the film, tragedy strikes those closetst to him, with deportation, betrayel, and death. So between juggiling a family, taking care of his friends and colleages, finding ways to make money, and fighting his cancer, he tries to develope a spiritual side; throughout the film it is believed he can communicate with the recently dead. A must see with a great performance from Bardem. I never thought a guy who could be so creepy in one film, "No Country For Old Men" could be so likable in another film. Deserving of the Oscar nomination.

Javeir Bardam , excellent..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Exceptional story with great emotional depth,cinematic wonder, this is a director who really captures memory and feeling like no other!!!!!!!!Love this~~~

Biutiful is an incredible and breathtaking film, but be ready for some emotional material. The trailer offers little explanation to the actually story and the less you know the better. I highly recommend you go see this film.