by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Is it a requirement for any arthouse and auteur director to do their 8 ½? It might not be an actual industry requirement, but it sure feels like many directors “get the memo.” Federico Fellini is one of the greatest auteurs of cinema, and a pioneer in the realm of Italian cinema. His work came to an unfortunate blockage that led to him creating an abstract and narratively fluid experience called 8 ½, which focuses on a fictional version of himself who is attempting to create his next film. There have been many other films trying to capture this impressive spark (there was even a musical version called Nine). But Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu is just the director to attempt his own version of the creative exercise.
Where does Iñárritu’s attempt, Bardo: False Chronicles of a Handful of Truths (I wonder why anyone might call this film pretentious based on that title), excel? Visually, this film is an absolute feast for the senses. Darius Khondji does wonders with his camera work, including the eye-catching use of lens and camera movements. The fish-eye lens being utilized offers up a strange and warped worldview that makes the fantastical and magical realism of the film feel fresh and engrossing. There are breathtaking crane shots over the desert and city, capturing both the scope and distinct beauties of each space. There are eye-catching shots that frame some bold visuals, including babies popping out of vaginas, naked women, and abstract moments like flooded streetcars. You certainly get a little bit of everything watching this new effort from Iñárritu.
Is that one of its problems? The vastness of its subject matter, themes, ideas, and narrative beats just becomes overwhelming to the point of confusion. The audience will struggle to keep focused on what this film is about, because I am convinced that Iñárritu is plagued by the same struggle. His surrogate figure, Silverio (Daniel Giménez Cacho), is a journalist-turned-documentarian (of course a filmmaker) who tries to navigate the cycle of new life to death, the dense and towering history and baggage of Mexicans in relation to the United States, and family issues related to parenting relationships. Each of these could be the anchor for an entire film. There are so many ideas and approaches that could be tackled, but in this situation, they clash! So many ideas swirling and not enough tangible and concrete deliverables. Iñárritu seems more concerned with making a visual feast, an actor’s banquet of material to act with, and a general visual poetry. There is also a sense that the auteur behind the camera has a certain feel in mind that just does not always jell.
This hulking narrative, which clocks in around 160 minutes, needs an anchor. There are not enough concrete ideas and payoffs to offer that structure, so the audience must lean on their lead character to shoulder much of the burden. Luckily for them, Cacho is up for the challenge. There are plenty of moments that offer him great material, and situations to offer up capital A acting. There is a confrontation in an airport between Silverio and a worker who questions his status to call America home. The scene is overly staged, and the ideas are blunt, but Cacho injects the needed emotion to make the scene as impactful as it is. This is not the only moment where Cacho is able to weed through the dense narrative tricks of Iñárritu to offer the audience something emotive and responsive.
What does Iñárritu’s Bardo offer its audience? That is hard to say, but whatever it is… there is plenty of it. There is just SO much of Bardo, and that becomes a detriment after a while. The runtime is bloated, and it could have certainly been condensed. The ideas seem endless, and more times than not, shallow due to overstretching. Bardo seems full of itself, which makes it even harder to let its own audience in. But one thing is for certain, Iñárritu is an impressive visual guide and creative force that you cannot help but get at least something out of this messy and occasionally profound cinematic experience.
Score: 5/10
Bardo is currently streaming on Netflix
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