Yesterday, Sean Penn hosted a post-screening Q&A with Javier Bardem who was there to promote his career-best performance in Biutiful at the DGA Theater.¬† Penn called it the “best performance since Brando in The Last Tango in Paris.”
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu said he wrote the role with Javier Bardem in mind, “How far are we able to face truths? I have gone through every emotional state possible, it was an incredible ride,” he said.
It means something to have a heavy hitter like Penn stand up and make it known that he is putting his might behind Bardem, especially since Penn hasn’t done much publicity for his own film, Fair Game. He has finally emerged from his humanitarian work in Haiti but he uses that time to make sure Bardem’s performance does not slip by unnoticed. Anyone who’s seen Biutiful, despite the tepid response from many critics, knows that Bardem’s work here cannot be denied. Biutiful was one of the best films I saw at Cannes.
Two more pics after the cut.
