11. Uxbal - Biutiful
Biutiful is not a cheerful film. Hes the second entry into our characters with terminal cancer and the various ways directors choose to scrutinise their every second of agony category. We also hear of the death of his parents, with whom he wishes to be united, and the possibility that that there will be nobody to look after his children when he dies. The mother of his children is a mentally ill alcoholic. Biutiful is, therefore, a good film for a night in on your own staring hopelessly at a blank wall. Perhaps his most depressingly unfortunate moment comes when the Chinese immigrants he tries to house die as a result of malfunctioning gas heaters. Gas heaters that are in place only because Uxbal wanted to keep the room warm for them. Like Kenji, he wants to do something good with his last days, but even his attempts to improve the lives of others go horribly awry. Poor Uxbal.