There is no question that Alejandro G. Iñárritu is a great director. But that doesn't change the fact that I was unable to connect with "Bardo" for the majority of the time. To my shame, I have to confess that at many points I didn't understand exactly what I was watching. Iñárritu stages many moments in a truly amazing way and shows the full extent of his creativity. At the same time, he was probably a bit self-indulgent and pretentious while making this film.

Almost every scene drifts into surrealism, making it extremely difficult to even begin to follow the plot (at least that's how I experienced it). The plot is also unfocused. The extremely long runtime along with the jumbled plot are really not a good combination. I haven't seen a movie as exhausting as "Bardo" in a long time. At least the finale managed to grab my attention, though.

Except for a few impressive moments, the latest work of the master director is truly a disappointment. At this point in his career, Iñárritu has, of course, earned the right to make the films he is most passionate about. But I personally prefer his earlier works far more.