Cannes has been buzzing about the latest work by writer-director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu — “Biutiful,” starting Javier Bardem as a modern-day Job in the slums of Barcelona.
In an exclusive video interview with TheWrap, the director explains how the main character of the film, Uxbal, came to him, and why he chose to make a film about the underbelly of Western society, the immigrant wage slaves and the lives of desperate people on the edge.
As Uxbal, Bardem is a man navigating a sordid world of poverty, corruption and immigrant desperation. Uxbal struggles to balance humanity with the needs of survival. tries to feed his children as a dealer in street contraband, and offers up his gift for speaking with newly-departed spirits to families in pain.
"I wrote the role for (Bardem)," Inarritu says in the interview. "It’s a suit made for his body and his soul and his talent. I”d never do it with someone else."
He adds: "There are movies where people react chemically against discussing death or discussing poverty, exploring those themes. But that universe is real. People will see hopeful signs in the film. There's lots of love, tenderness, passion, self-acceptance, forgiveness."
(video property of TheWrap)
