This isn’t the Inarritu that we’re used to seeing. That’s not a bad thing.
Netflix released a trailer for Alejandro G. Inarritu’s, the 5-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Bardo, False Chronology of a Handful of Truths. Although the trailer is a little more detailed, it still shows a lot of the film’s story through dialogue. While we are still exploring Inarritu’s surrealist sequences in this trailer, this clip reveals more about the overall tone and mood of this two-and-a-half-hour existential epic.
The Oscar-winning director of Birdman and The Revenant has created something completely different from his previous works.Nicolas Giacobone and Inarritu co-wrote Bardo. It follows Silverio Gacho ( Daniel Gimenez Cácho), a renowned Mexican journalist and documentaryarian who has lived in Los Angeles for more than two decades. Silverio, who has received a prestigious award for his work, returns to Mexico, where he experiences a fish-out-of-water experience and loses any sense of belonging. Silverio and his audience are plunged into a frightening and scary journey through his anxiety.
The first trailer was essentially an amazing music video. This sneak peek shows more of Inarritu’s self-reflection in the script. Silverio is asked, “Where are you?” Silverio responds to “Where are you?” through a series of ennui-inducing shots, which then lead to the absurdity of the film and the magical realism used by the director to convey a relatable sense of disorientation. The film then drops back into dissociation, where Silverio is on autopilot as elaborate stage plays and fanciful productions play out around him. As if his dreams are slowly transforming into reality, we see deserts, nightclubs that feel claustrophobic, and flooded trains. Silverio struggles with his identity, and a trailer for Inarritu’s film further demonstrates the feeling of overwhelming loss.
Inarritu has helmed seven films since 2000’s Oscar-nominated feature Amores Perros, starring Gael Garcia Bernal. Inarritu has collaborated with many A-list directors on projects that have made him an auteur of the craft. These include 21 Grams with Sean Penn; Babel starring Brad Pitt; and Cate Blanchett’s Babel. Bardo marks Inarritu’s first trip to Mexico since Amores. This may have been the inspiration for the film’s main themes of belonging and imposter syndrome. His filmography is often dark and intense (see Revenant, Blutiful), but Bardo feels more personal and can play with humour in a self-deprecating way.
Cacho, a Mexican actor, leads the cast. Ximena Lasmadrid plays Camila, Griselda Siciliani is Lucia, and Iker Solano is Lorenoz. With Mary Parent and Karla Luna Cantu serving as executive producers, Inarritu, as well as Stacy Perskie Kaniss, are the producers.
Bardo’s False Chronology of a Handful of Truths opens everywhere on October 27th in Mexico. It will then be released in limited theatres across the country on November 4th. The film will also be streamable on Netflix on December 16th. The trailer is available below.