Posted at 7:00 AM ET, 01/28/2011

On screen this week: 'Biutiful,' 'Barney's Version,' 'The Mechanic'

By Anne Kenderdine

Here's what Post critics had to say about this week's releases:

Biutiful (R) "Watching [Javier] Bardem occupy, embrace and ultimately own a multifaceted role like the one he plays in "Biutiful" is a rare treat, and an absolute joy." -- Sean O'Connell

The Mechanic (R) "A striking-looking work, combining an arty inkiness with a retro-graininess that more or less screams 1970s, albeit without the cliches and flatness." -- John Anderson

Barney's Version (R) "If Richard J. Lewis's film can't re-create the novel's complex stew of grievances, dirty jokes and misremembered anecdotes, it's still a warm tribute to a writer who, despite what you may have heard about Canadians, wasn't very polite at all." -- Dan Kois

Undertow (NR) "The otherworldly element of the story feels mythic, both in its fanciful mood and its sense of gravitas. This is a modern-day fable." -- Stephanie Merry

The Rite (PG-13) "A run-of-the-mill chiller that spends an inordinate amount of time flirting with unconventional scare tactics before sacrificing all of its ingenuity to become the latest in a long line of 'The Exorcist' clones." -- Sean O'Connell

And Everything Is Going Fine (NR) "A brilliantly conceived documentary, one with uncommon respect for -- and understanding of -- its subject's life and art.." -- Dan Kois