Alejandro González Iñárritu, Biutiful

One of the world’s most honored auteurs, Mexico’s Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu describes himself as a "neurotic perfectionist" who will do 100 takes of the simplest scene to achieve its meaning. For his fourth film and for the first time since his breakthrough hit Amores Perros, Iñárritu returns to a fully Spanish language drama. Written expressly for Javier Bardem and, most unusual, filmed chronologically in sequence for 18 weeks, Biutiful is set in Spain with Bardem terminally ill. A man who can communicate with the dead, his troubled ex-wife is bipolar and abuses their son. His job leads to the murder of 25 illegal aliens, including women and children. It is, Iñárritu explains, a classical tragedy, one very different from his 21 Grams and Babel. (19 minutes)

•