Film Review – Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths

While writer/director Alejandro G. Inarritu made his mark with smaller pictures such as “Amores perros,” “21 Grams,” and “Babel,” he achieved major success with larger, Hollywood-driven productions, enjoying big box office and back-to-back Academy Award wins with “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” and “The Revenant,” making him one of the biggest names in the industry. Cashing in on such creative triumphs and profitability, Inarritu returns to his filmmaking roots with “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths,” going the passion project route with a permissive budget. The helmer hopes to offer a poetic, wily, and possibly autobiographical understanding of an aging man facing his faults and fears while trying to decode his own existence, and Inarritu certainly delivers a visual experience that captures a swirling sense of reality, taking viewers on an extended ride through pleasure and pain. However, such indulgence doesn’t translate to a powerful sit, as “Bardo” doesn’t exactly invite audience investment, largely remaining cold to the touch as the endeavor pursues any and all moviemaking impulses without supplying dramatic support. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com