Biutiful

Biutiful

Javier Bardem plays Uxbal, an anguished father of two who is suffering from terminal cancer and dealing with his estranged bipolar wife in this Spanish drama from filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu. The subject matter is heavy, but it may be worth it to see Bardem's performance, which earned him an Oscar nomination for best actor, while the movie was also up for best foreign film. The DVD extras include a couple of making-of featurettes.

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Drive Angry

Nicole Cage toplines this action flick as Milton, a man who has escaped from Hell to exact revenge on the man who sucked his daughter into a cult and killed her, then stole her baby daughter. With eye candy Amber Heard in tow, Milton is on a quest to save his granddaughter, and the rest of Earth from Satan's minions. The campy flick has Cage killing as many people as he has to on the way, and yes, driving angry. The DVD's extras include deleted scenes, audio commentary with the filmmakers and a featurette of Cage's character's victims.

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Javier Bardem was the first up at the podium in the interview room at today's 83rd annual Oscar nominees luncheon. Javier, who just welcomed a baby boy with wife Penelope Cruz, is up for best actor in a leading role for his work in Biutiful. Javier answered a couple of questions in Spanish and talked about how honored he was to land a nomination for a movie that is not in English:

• On how he feels to be nominated: "To be here today is a great honor, first of all because it’s in Spanish, and we all know how difficult to get a nomination for a foreign speaking language performance...So a double honor, of course. The movie was always going to be made, the thing is we had to find the right people to do it and that takes time but thank god, it happened."

• On having the support of famous friends: "Sean [Penn], and Julia [Roberts] and Michael Mann and many others were out there, and said we like this movie and want people to see it, and that’s always an amazing gift. Because I’m sure they have many other interesting things to do that day...It’s always very helpful to have the support of people of that quality. Of course, it was very helpful and you feel protected. It’s like, any of these people are great actors and for me to be protected by them is a great honor.
• On how this year's nomination is different: "I feel very honored because---I mean this is the third time I’ve been nominated, but this time the honor is different because it’s Spanish. Because it’s not easy to be here [as a nominee] in a Spanish performance."
• On whether it was hard to get out of character following the shoot: "Yes, it was hard. It took me a lot of time, six months to really get back to my feet. That’s something that happens subconsciously. You change...it’s like you are that person for 24 hours for six months. It’s obvious. It’s like if you go to a disguise party and you stay at the disguise party for more than 12 hours dancing, there will come a moment when you believe you are a banana!"

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If you've been keeping your ear tuned to this year's award season buzz, then you've heard about Biutiful, Alejandro González Iñárritu's drama which has already scooped up Oscar nominations in both the foreign language category and for star Javier Bardem. It's a beautifully filmed, haunting piece of work, but clocking in at a solid two and a half hours, it's also a film that requires commitment from its audience. Is the payoff worth it? Yes and no.

Bardem stars as Uxbal, a middle-aged father of two living in Barcelona. By day, he's a hustler of sorts, serving as a go-between for Senegalese illegals who sell handbags on the streets and the Chinese immigrants who produce the purses in a dilapidated basement. Uxbal makes deals with the two parties so he can put money in his pocket and food on the table for his children. He's separated from their mother, a bipolar alcoholic, so their primary care falls on his shoulders. The two roles make him quite the complex, mysterious man; one minute he's exploiting others, the next he's tenderly tucking his young boy into bed. But, there are plenty of other layers at work in the film as well. To find out what those are, along with my thoughts on Bardem's performance, read more

Javier Bardem was a special guest last night at a Cinema Society screening of Biutiful in NYC. His pregnant wife, Penelope Cruz, was elsewhere in the city lighting up the Empire State Building red for World AIDS Day, but Javier had the company of hot mom Alicia Keys, who showed off her postbaby body in a little black dress. She and husband Swizz Beatz welcomed their son Egypt just over six weeks ago, and since then they have been seen out with their little one and enjoying a PDA-filled adults-only evening out. Alicia may have some new parents' tips for Javier, who's been busy lately focusing on his upcoming drama with an event in Madrid and a premiere during the London Film Festival.

To see more photos of Javier, just read more

Javier Bardem linked up with his Biutiful director, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, this morning for a photo call in Madrid. The actor is back to focusing on the project after dedicating himself to a political cause earlier this month, when he joined his mom Pilar at a march protesting Spain's lack of action during a conflict in Northern Africa. Javier's much buzzed-about movie debuts in the US on Dec. 29, and shortly after he'll be honored with the International Star Award at the Palm Springs Film Festival. He and wife Penelope Cruz are also gearing up for their big personal achievement with the planned arrival of their first child early next year.

To see more Javier, just read more

It's best to take a deep breath before you watch the trailer for Biutiful. The film by Alejandro González Iñárritu (21 Grams, Babel) stars Javier Bardem as a father with a dismal future. His ex-wife is bipolar so he raises his two kids, he's responsible for the deaths of illegal Chinese immigrants, and he's stricken with cancer, leaving him with only weeks to live.

Feel-good movie of the year this isn't. And as you might expect, the preview is intense. With quick bursts of dramatic scenes, eerie imagery, and a building score, the first minute alone gave me a rush of anxiety. Even so, it's worth enduring to watch Bardem in action. He's spellbinding in the little we see here, even though he doesn't say much. Early festival reviews are saying he's a shoo-in for a best actor Oscar nomination, so get a peek for yourself when you read more