Biutiful, An Essay On Privacy - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is in unknown territory this year. The director presented his in-competition film, Biutiful, Monday at the Cannes Film Festival (Grand Theatre Lumiere 8:30 AM, 3:00 PM, 7:00 PM). This is Inarritu's first film without his usual screen writer, Guillermo Arriaga. The much publicized break-up caused the director to inaugurate a new direction with his latest feature. The film follows a linear approach, contray to the Inarritu's common use of complex stories.

Biutiful is an allusion to the daily struggle of Uxbal, the main character, who is torn between the future of his children and his survival in the ghetto. For casting, the Mexican director has taken on some of the iconic actors of Pedro Almodovar: Blanca Portillo (Volver) and Ruben Ochandiano (Broken Embraces). At the head of this configuration he has placed Javier Bardem, who was in Canner previously in 2007 for No Country For Old Men, and in 2005 for the Jury Emir Kusturica.

The whole team of Biutiful was present at the morning press conference. The prominent question, of course, was directed towards Inarritu, about the writing process of the film. The director made clear that he has always had complete and total control over his films and the process for this particular film wasn't very different. Although, Inarritu did express his relation to this film was different. For the first time, he feels satisfied with his final production. Reasoning that the movie is 'alive', allowing him to feel something everytime he watches.

Below, are some of the best moments from the conference.

Alejandro González Inárritu, talking about the conception of Biutiful:

I got so tired travelling round the world for Babel that I promised myself that my next project would be less complicated, with a single location and a single central character. For Biutiful, I wanted to develop something a bit more linear, more disciplined, by exploring other narrative methods. But Biutiful turned out to be just as difficult to make as my other films (laughter).

Javier Bardem about Uxbal, the main character:

Uxbal is an intense person, rather like the film. He is a man who keeps his feelings very much to himself. As an actor, I wanted to show that Uxbal knew about corruption, and exploitation. Uxbal doesn’t want to lose love, his last breath of sanity. But life pushes him in another direction.

Alejandro González Inárritu on the message of Biutiful:

Even if darkness seems to be everywhere, Biutiful offers many touches of hope. I’d even say it’s my most optimistic film. Uxbal’s character is full of light. He puts a lot into organising his life, helping his children, loving other people. This film is also an essay on privacy. In this age of the web and social networks, privacy is a bit provocative, like a new punk movement for our society.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu presented a very real, personal, hopeful film to a seperated society consumed by tweeting and email. It looks like the dramatic break-up with screen writer, Arriaga, turned out right for director Inarritu. The intimate film is rumored to be the best yet this year at the Cannes Film Festival.

-Summer Hawkins