"Biutiful" takes place in grimy and crowded parts of Barcelona that are a world away from that city's tourist attractions. Uxbal is a mid level mobster, in charge of Chinese sweatshop workers making counterfeit watches andbags, and the African vendors who sell them. He collectsand dispenses money, and runs interference with the cops. He also has two young children, a mentally unstable former wife, and a terminal illness. He is trying, despite his job, to be a good man, a good father. He tries to be stoical, tough, and compassionate, but he suffers because he cannot do good things, and he cares about the consequences of his actions