EXCLUSIVE ACADEMY AWARDS TV SPOT FOR "BIUTIFUL"

 Maple Pictures was wonderful enough to give us this exclusive Premiere of the Academy Awards Television Spot for Biutiful, which is now in theatres in Ottawa and Toronto. This Friday, the Film starring Oscar winner Javier Bardem, expands to Calgary, Montreal and Halifax and next Friday (February 25, 2011), the release widens also to Edmonton and Vancouver.

Watch the TV Spot in full below:

They are also holding a contest which could win you and your Friends to a Private Screening of your own for Biutiful and also an Oscars Prize Pack which includes the following DVDs: Winter's Bone, Restrepo, The Cove, The Hurt Locker, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire and Amores Perros.  Click here to enter.  Deadline is March 3, 2011.

Click here to read my review of Biutiful.

BIUTIFUL - MOVIE REVIEW

Still from Biutiful

Alejandro González Iñárritu's latest effort is a portrait of dying Man, struggling in a race against time to ensure the one thing constant in his life, his loving Children, are cared for after he passes on. Despite being prolonged by lengthy nuances, it possesses true heart thanks to its tragic Hero.

Biutiful centers around Uxbal (Javier Bardem) who deals in underground affairs, including selling the labour of illegal immigrants in Barcelona. Having separated from his mentally unstable and Alcoholic Wife Marambra (Maricel Álvarez), he finds himself drawn back to her both out of love and a need for a Maternal figure in their Children's lives.

Hai (Cheng Tai-Shen) is Uxbal's Business Associate and together they are caught in a dangerous struggle to keep the illegal Chinese immigrants whom they are harbouring, under the radar from Police. At the same time they must find these people Employment as the future of Uxbal's Children is dependent on this much-needed income and thus, a driving force in his fight to live.

CANNES FILM FESTIVAL TITLES ANNOUNCED

Director Doug Liman's Fair Game will be among many future Oscar-contending films at this year's 63rd Cannes Film Festival  to be held May 12-23, 2010.  The film stars Sean Penn and Naomi Watts, who will be appearing together yet again after garnering critical success in The Assasination of Richard Nixon and 21 Grams previously.  The political drama is about CIA agent Valerie Plame, who is exposed by White House Officials after he wrote a New York Times piece with incriminating evidence against the Bush administration and its decision to invade Iraq.  Heavy stuff. 

The story inspired 2008's Nothing But The Truth starring Vera Farmiga and Kate Beckinsale, but Liman's film is the actual real deal.  Watts has a second film, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, which also is the latest film from legendary Woody Allen.  It also stars Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas, Freida Pinto and Josh Brolin.  Hmm, gee... I wonder who will be cast as the Tall Dark Stranger in this one?  Could it be sexy MANtonio?