The Revenant and Birdman director returns with an inscrutable journey into his own past

Six years after The Revenant, Alejandro G. Iñárritu returns for an esoteric dive into his own past in the semi-autobiographical Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths. 

Daniel Giménez Cacho plays Silverio Gama, an experimental filmmaker who has recently won a prestigious American award (can you see the connect yet?). Travelling to his home country of Mexico after years of living in LA, reality and fantasy blur as Silverio goes on an existential roller coaster. 

Like fellow Mexican Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, Iñárritu has turned to Netflix’s millions to make a deeply personal and complex story. Unlike that film, we delve so deep into his mind that the film loses its coherence. Vignettes analysing Mexican politics, success, and the director’s feeling about his family all swirl in a dazzling mix of visual art. 

There are hints of filmmaking greats like Fellini and Malick in the way that the narrative is not spoon-fed. Had it been an hour shorter, the cracks in the concept may have been less visible. 

As it is, the epic runtime can be exhausting for the viewer struggling to discern what’s going on, or if they should understand it at all. Emotionally, there are moments that ring true. The presence of Silverio’s late father in his life, leading to some surreal moments where he shrinks back to the size of a child, is a clever and imaginative thread. 

Comments about loss and the insecurity that fame brings are also thoughtfully approached, although the troubles of an Oscar winning artist may not be the most relatable topic. Star Cacho rolls with the punches, benefitting from being directed by the story’s inspiration, but occasionally left stranded by the strangeness of it all. 

Bardo… has a lot to say over the course of nearly three hours, but often it can feel like listening to a conversation without context. While far from the brilliance of Birdman, fans of the director will be encouraged at the fact that Iñárritu is still a director determined to follow his own muse.