Ideas Are What Remains. 3.5 / 5
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.
Silverio is compelled to return to his native country, unaware that this simple trip will push him to an existential limit.
Available worldwide on Netflix: December 16th 2022
Alejandro González Iñárritu made an appearance before the film began and said "Don't try to understand BARDO - There's nothing to understand." Yep, pretty much hit the nail on the head.
After watching the new 2.5 hour cut and letting it sit for a day, I still couldn't confidently tell you what BARDO is about, but I know that I enjoyed the ride it took me on.
You are invited into this ethereal dream world full of bizarre imagery and some of the best cinematography I've seen all year. The opening shot floating through the desert in particular feels like something that was pulled directly from my dreams.
Described as docufiction, there are a lot of obvious real life influences and social commentary scattered throughout but it keeps coming back to being a journey of self-discovery and reflection.
I did find myself fighting the film, the visually stimulating imagery was no match for the hypnotic fog that envelops your brain as I was somehow heavily invested yet struggling to keep my eyes open - especially in the middle act.
It's not a film I'd rush to rewatch and I'm not even sure how I could effectively recommend it but I fell for BARDO's spell - It's an experience unlike any other.
Written by Jack Aling Read his latest reviews at: letterboxd.com/TheJackAling