Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths – Review

Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths – Review
159 Minutes, Rated R
Written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Nicolás Giacobone
Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu

**NOTE: this post will be updated with audio once we actually have the chance to talk about it. Until then, Read Mark’s review below. Stay tuned.**

Synopsis:

Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths is an epic, visually stunning, and immersive experience set against the intimate and moving journey of Silverio, a renowned Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker living in Los Angeles, who, after being named the recipient of a prestigious international award, is compelled to return to his native country, unaware that this simple trip will push him to an existential limit. The folly of his memories and fears have decided to pierce through the present, filling his everyday life with a sense of bewilderment and wonder.

This is a difficult movie to review, much less recommend, for someone. If you’re not a fan of Iñárritu’s previous work (including Birdman and The Revenant) then you might not be a fan of Bardo.

[The film is subtitled, so be prepared for that, BTW; please don’t let it put you off of watching it, though.]

In what feels like a series of interconnected, yet completely disconnected, vignettes told through Silverio’s eyes, Bardo often feels as if there is no connective tissue, when that’s actually far form the case.

Early in the film, I almost felt as if I was watching a Terry Gilliam film, somewhat akin to Brazil. As the film progressed, I felt something like Aronofsky’s The Fountain, with its dreamlike takes on life and love and family.

The construction of Bardo is… different, to say the least, but if you pay attention from the beginning, you can keep track of what–generally–is going on, so that by the time the film ends you will have a good sense of what actually happened.

Of course, if you don’t know what Bardo is by the end of the film, look it up. But look it up AFTER you see the film.

Trust me.

Pay attention and revel in some great performances and some nifty camerawork as Iñárritu creates a world unlike anything you’ve seen, but one that is still intimately familiar.

Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths releases in select theaters on November 18 before hitting Netflix on December 16 and stars Daniel Giménez Cacho, Griselda Siciliani, and Ximena Lamadrid.

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