Given his excellent track record, it's not a huge surprise that Javier Bardem supposedly gives one of the best performances of the year in Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu's Biutiful. But if you had doubts, this gorgeous, very intense trailer for the film should put them to rest. Even in this two-minute time-frame, Bardem shows extraordinary range, restraint, and depth -- and he only speaks two lines of dialogue.
Seriously, the shot early on of Bardem just looking at the camera and swallowing induces more emotion than a dozen screaming matches or tearful breakdowns. And if that doesn't get you, his weary smile and puffed out eyes later on will. I sure hope he finds whatever he's looking for.
Oh right -- the rest of the trailer is also fantastic. After Babel and 21 Grams, I was a bit weary of another ultra-serious melodrama about redemption from Iñárritu, but this preview plays like an expertly cut, pulse-pounding travelogue through Barcelona's underworld and beyond. The images here are stunning, and while they don't add up to much of a plot synopsis, it's all so skillfully executed and evocative that I'm okay with that.
Verdict: Sold.