Small, indie distribution house Roadside Attractions are reportedly set to pick up North American distribution rights to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Biutiful” starring Javier Bardem, months after the film premiered at Cannes.
Iñárritu’s first film without longtime collaborator Guillermo Arriaga earned mixed reviews on the Croisette, where we described it as an “impeccably acted, wonderfully shot and assuredly put together” film. However, as a harrowing, depressing Spanish-language slog, it has understandably struggled to find a distribution deal stateside. That is, until now.
Details are currently being ironed out for Roadside to take up the challenge, with Bardem’s performance likely to play a part in the distribution house’s biggest award season push ever. They were also behind Debra Granik’s “Winter’s Bone” which has Jennifer Lawrence’s performance as a likely award contender as well. Before ‘Bone,’ their biggest films to date had been the likes of dolphin doc “The Cove,” Iranian flick “The Stoning Of Soraya M.” and the Duplass Brothers’ breakout pic “The Puffy Chair.”
“Biutiful” follows Uxbal — who can communicate with the dead, has an uneasy relationship with his bi-polar ex-wife and is juggling a handful of slowly spiraling black market deals — in his last days as he tries to set things right before he passes away from terminal cancer.
The film will also feature at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.