From NetFlix:

Diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer, Uxbal (Javier Bardem) — a divorced father raising two children — is determined to atone for his life as a black marketeer in this engrossing character study that unfolds in the slums of Barcelona, Spain. Co-starring Maricel Álvarez as Uxbal’s estranged wife, director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s haunting tale received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Foreign Language Film.

Why do you watch a film ? My most honest answer is “I want to be entertained”. “Entertainment” usually means “escape” or “relax” or “laugh” or “solve a puzzle” or “be excited by action (or sex)”. Therefore, this film, which is probably the most grubby film I have ever seen, might not qualify as “entertainment”. One possible subtitle for this film might be “Watching Javier Bardem Die” because there are an awful lot of shots that linger on his unshaven, haggard, unhappy face.

Another reason for calling the film “grubby” is that it takes place in the slums of Barcelona. Of course, every great and beautiful city has its slums. If all I knew about Barcelona was this film, I would avoid at all cost visiting the city. There is even a beautiful shot of a sunny clear sky into which ugly black factory smoke is pouring. Another view of the sea has dead Chinese immigrant bodies floating into the beach. Are you starting to get the picture ?

At least we get an honest view of how horrible life is for third-world immigrants (legal or otherwise) trying desperately to scratch out a meager living. Do you really want to watch that ?

One sub-theme centers around Bardem’s supposed ability to communicate with the dead for which services he charges a fee. Keep the initial snow scene in mind. Eventually you figure out what is happening.

Only Javier Bardem was familiar to me. However, the woman who plays his wife, Maricel Álvarez, has an unforgettable face. Because of the disproportionate size of her nose, she reminds me of another Spanish actress (whose name I could not find) favored by the director Almodóvar possibly for her striking looks (meaning her nose).

For some of you this film might be 2.5 hours too long.