80: Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (2022)

Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s new film, “Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths” is one of Alex and Nick’s favorite films of the year. Watch the movie on Netflix, then tune in as the guys discuss Iñárritu’s career, absurdist cinema, intentional surrealism, weird movies that land, finding love in pain, and so much more.
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Transcript

0:09

Hey, everyone. Welcome to. What are you watching? I'm Alex Withrow. I'm joined by my best man, Nick Dostal. How are you doing there, Bird man? I'm excited to be here. Bardo, baby. Senorita. It's Bardo. You're listening to this episode the day that it comes out on December 16th. This is the day that Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, whose new film Bardo is available on Netflix to watch by everyone. I've seen this movie in the theater. I've seen it more than once in the theater. I forced you to go see this movie, the theater, so that we could release this episode the day that the movie is available to the public. And we did that because I absolutely loved this movie. Everything thing about it. That's why it's getting its own episode. I am here to defend it. A movie that does not seem to have a lot of defenders right now. But here we go. It's Bardo. Holy shit. You saw this movie last night? We have? Yes, I did. Word one about it. We have not said anything. So tell me how much you hated it. Like to put it plainly to our mad movie buffs. This is the movie so far of the year that you truly Alex, would not shut up about it to me. I love this movie. Every text I would get a text pretty much like every other day for at least a week. Being like bardot's. Like the best movie I've seen is the best movie I've seen. And you're like, I feel like I'm the only one that's going to like this movie. I'm the only one that's going to like this movie. And so I texted you and I have it right in front of me. I go, Will I like it? And you said, I would imagine, no. It's but I was saying it from a place of it is kind of the inverse of everything everywhere all at once, which is. Yes, third movie that is a very, very different type of absurdity than what is in Bardo. So I was kind of on this kick of like I didn't know when I saw it that like people didn't really like it. People that have seen it in festivals, like it didn't really do that well. We're going to get into all this, but I'm like, okay, screw me. I guess I love this movie. It kind of like it's helping me understand things and putting some things that life into perspective. Like, I really liked it. But yes. What did you think of it, though? I fucking loved it. Yes, I fucking loved it. I thought it. Might be, too. Dude, I don't know. We're like, it's tougher now. Well, this is a tough one. I thought it might be a little too odd for you. It could be too odd for anyone. There's something that happens, like, really early in the movie where I went, Oh, boy, is this going to please don't let this be like a blond thing or I'm going to have to hear about, oh, god, don't do this, and we're not going to give spoilers away. So when I saw what they were doing, it takes place in a hospital and where that lands hours later. Yeah. Of sobbing or sobbing. Oh, it destroyed me. Why would me? I've seen this movie four fucking times. I've driven to the movie theater four times. This movie's not playing near me. I have to drive an hour. One way to see this. I'm a madman. Last night got on my phone about going to go see it. They've taken it away in the Washington, D.C. area. Stuart, D.C. So I have to wait till Netflix. But I was like, I'm ready. Like, I'll go see this movie for a fifth time. I love it, but oh my God, I'm so glad you like it. Sorry, people. I just kind of like spitballing back and forth right now. We're going to get into what it's about, why we think you should see it. But oh, my God, I'm so happy you liked it. Well, we've never really had much conversations about this because we haven't really had I mean, there's been no real reason to. But I love absurdism. So do I. It's just unlike anything that that there is. It touches a certain element of our humor and our perspective on life in a way. Because when you when you completely remove how reality works. Mm hmm. Well, now from there, you can kind of go anywhere. Yeah. And it gives you permission, and it lets your mind go to places that it's like, Oh, okay. This isn't supposed to make sense. It's a dream. It's all week. One giant dream. Like, yeah, a dream. A nightmare. Yeah. Mixed with reality. Mixed. It's all. This stuff and. But I mean, there's a lot of it, like when, when it's not done well, it's, it's really, really tough to sit through because, because you're trying to thread a needle between. Am I supposed to feel a certain way and I because good absurdism, you won't even be asking that. You'll just be kind of living in a certain vibe that lets your imagination go off to wherever it's going to go. And this movie did that. Yeah. Now, I don't think this movie is going to be received well. No, no, that's why I know. I tweeted from our account. I said, I think about 2% of the people who finish this. I very deliberately said, finish because I think a lot of people are going to start this on Netflix and not finish it. But maybe 2% of you who finish it will like it, maybe even less will love it. I think this movie's made for we're going to get into Indyref2 as well because like, I love this guy. I've loved every movie is made. And we're going to talk about all seven of his movies today. I've never seen a bad one. Some people, it's become like fashionable to hate on his second to last movie, which is just really weird for me. Yeah. When they're saying, What the hell is that? I don't know what happened to The Revenant. Some like when that movie was out, that movie was hot shit. Like people were talking about it. Everyone wanted Leo to win an award. Now it's like, Oh, Leo just did that movie to win it. Yeah, I finished that movie this morning. This morning? I started last night, finished it this morning, and I was like, I don't know how the fuck they did this. Yeah. This movie was only made seven years ago, and I'm like, it's a stunning, stunning achievement. All these movies are to me. However, however, none of them are easy. Birdman is a little easy. None of them are easy watches. And that's where he loses people. Like he makes very, very deliberate movies about often about pain. I mean, about the worst that life can offer you. And then maybe hopefully there is something to latch onto at the end of it. Like Bardo for me will keep it at Bardo for now. Before we go into the rest of his work. I like absurdism too, but absurdism can carry you along for a point. I'll speak for myself. I was watching this movie when that lady collapsed in the street. I held up my hands and just went well. I was alone in the theater, of course, the first time I saw it. No one else in there. E Street Cinema, Washington, D.C., held up my hands and I was like, What the fuck? What am I watching? I don't know what this is. You're not supposed to know what you're watching. No, not yet. Not yet. And not all absurdism. But to me, the best absurdism lends. Yeah, just simply put, it lands in this landed in such a way that was so simple, so easy to understand. The absurdist stuff is not easy to understand when you're living in one man's late nightmare dreamscape, anything goes so it can be really strange. You never know when you are actually in reality. And then you think you might be in reality and you're not. Or you think you might be in absurdism and you actually figure out you're in reality. But if all that has been for a reason, and if all of that eventually lands that impact like the last 15 minutes of this movie, the first time I saw it, I was just I was hysterically laughing 20 minutes earlier, which went to Supreme Confuse, in which went to in my head this movie is going to fall flat if it doesn't stick its landing because I have no idea where it's going. None. And it totally stuck it and I just went, that's why I've revisited. That's why I've gone back so many times and there's so much more. Every time I go back, he he gives you so many Easter eggs and hints and secrets along the way. He is guiding you that when you go back and rewatch it some like we have a masterpiece on our hands. That's what I'll say. In my opinion. People aren't going to view it that way. That's fine. No, this is this thing is astounding to me. Well, this is one of those movies where, like, I I've been only coming off of seeing it last night and very much enjoying my time with it. But it also certain times, to be fair to it, there were a few moments where I fell out with I don't know, I didn't mind because when I did, at least just for me, like where my mind went, it wasn't like, Oh, I was thinking about bills or like what I had to borrow. I started trailing off in in a very sort of like avant garde thoughts this. But that's just because that's where the movie let me go into that space. And then when something like the movie caught me again, I was right back in it, right? This movie in the best possible way was one of the most indulgent movies I've ever seen in a long time. Well said. It is. It is. And that is not. That is usually a word I would use to criticize something. Yes. Yes. I feel the same. Heavily autobiographical like this is there's a lot of his life in here. A lot. But aspects of it are so extra and so over the top. But all. Yeah. For a purpose. It is. It's an indulgent movie. It's like it's a movie of, like, rich of the senses. There's so much just noise and light. It looks incredible. It sounds great. He's using little again. Then pick this up the first time on repeat viewings. I'm like, Oh, you're using sound in a way where you're connecting me to different places. I'm not just here right now. I'm also in that dream or I'm in that reality just by very, very deliberate noises. Noises everyone will understand. But okay, so we get into what the film's about. Should we attempt it? I want to say it's better to not know anything, but I do think this movie is going to lose a lot of people. This is his longest film. It is longer than The Revenant, and that did not matter to me. I was like I wanted it to keep going. But okay, Bardo, I thought it was the dude's name. When I say 202, I had no idea that Bardo is the state of existence immediately between two lives on earth. So it's like this limbo. That's another. Another kind of definition for limbo. I'm not going to say how the movie begins, but when I tell you that just watching that in a theater was as exhilarating as, like, a rollercoaster ride. Oh, my God. What the fuck? Like, I felt like I was on a ride and just. I mean, the movie just started, and I'm sitting there, like, literally getting, like, the air time feeling in my stomach, like. Whoa. What is this, like, what about it? Yeah, it's a perfect way to start. I don't want to say what it is, but it's perfect. It's. It's one of the coolest openings I've experienced in a long, long time. With any movie I and I think it also like those first two opening sequences. Yep. You have to accept both of them because if you don't, then it's going to be a torture to get through the rest. But once you see the opening credits, says Bardo, if you're not on the vibe of what the movie has just given you right then and there, then it's going to be tough. But if you do just trust it, just lean into everything. Yes, if you watch these first two scenes, first scene, then you go, okay, I don't like you logically or realistically understand what I'm watching, but it was really cool. I just got to give in. I'm telling you that as you know, the host of this podcast and is a lifelong lover of movies, in my opinion, the movie landed in the movie had very deliberate absurdity that landed. I hope some people listening to this arrive at that conclusion as well. Maybe you won't, but I'm telling you, it's all for a reason if you allow yourself to be open to it like you're saying. We should mention that early. It's a really good thing to point out that you got to give in or else you're just going to be and be like, What am I watching? What is. This? And this movie did? What's my favorite thing that could ever? This is how I know I've seen something is that that I truly, truly when a movie really hits for me like I have to go walking after. Oh yeah, nice. And so I went to with people are familiar in L.A. the Westwood area is Christmas time so there's lights everywhere. Right. And I just get treated with like some of the most beautiful cinematography that I've seen this year. So I walk out of this movie and I'm thinking about everything and I'm just looking around at all of the lights and the people and all of that is like this movie, like, reflects life and everything that I like to experience, but to see a movie like that. So this movie passed my test for, for walking out of a theater. I'm like, I'm going to go for a 20 minute walk just to digest. I love that. I do that sometimes, too. I did that a little here, kind of by necessity because I like go to my car. But it was just cool to like walk out into a city of you're like, look around. Because yeah, the point of view, the literal point of view. This movie is just so interesting always. Yeah, because it's so well shot and we're going to get into all that. All right, let me try to let's back up. Let's try to tell folks that this movie's about the official title is Bardo False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths. It's actually kind of make sense because it's like everything that we're watching is based on something real. But through this guy's mind, it's like a false recollection of it. So I like that. I mean, it's a it's a contradictory title in itself, which is great. Yes, exactly. A deliberately absurd film about a journalist slash documentarian Silveira, who has been living in Los Angeles with his family but has returned to Mexico after a long while. BARDO Oh, wow. It's about a lot. It's about Severo making his next movie. It's about the individual relationships he has with his wife, his daughter, his son. It's about his relationship with his archenemy. I love that guy. So, yeah. I love that guy. A talk show host, Bardo is absolutely about Mexico. It is about the history of Mexico. It is about the horrors that Mexico has faced as a country, a lot of which Americans don't know or don't talk about. Bardo is about the journey of a life told using dreams, fantasies, absurdist reimaginings sometimes all of that is playing out at the same time. Sometimes it's mixed in with real life films like this, as we said, can be hard to latch onto. The first time I saw this movie, I've seen it four times. There was I was kind of taken out of it just going like, what is going on? And then, I mean, everything clicked for me in a way that was so profound, that was so unexpected. Like I said, I wept. I've I've just gone through the range every time I've seen I've been overjoyed. I've been emotional and I haven't been hit. Just such a profound sense of like, you know, we spent some time on this podcast and I will admit a lot of time personally talking about how like what our movie is now, man, like, what's going on? Where are our directors? Like who's shooting on film? And when I go on those rants, I never bring up in your reviews name. They shot this movie on 65 millimeter film. It's like this is a daring, audacious movie. He's always made those. I certainly hope he doesn't take seven years off between films again. But I just I'm looking for the directors that need one full year to figure out how to put the first 3 minutes of his movie on screen, which he did. It took him a year to figure that out. The Shadows. How does it all look? What does it sound like? How high does it go? A year? I don't know. This is a movie made by an obsessive guy. By a nut like your nut. And there's just so many scenes in it, like the argument with his son in the kitchen, the argument with his daughter by the pool, the outrageous David Bowie dance number. Inarritu loves dances. Well, I could go on and on and on, but. They are part of the movie. I don't want to say too much about it, but you're following this guy around. We're seeing his life as it is currently. And what's it all about? We don't really know, but it leads somewhere. Does it ever? At what point were you like, What the hell is this? Like, what's going on? First two scenes, loved it. I'm so in it. Then something happens on a train and I'm like, Okay, this is weird. This is really weird. This is it's okay. I'm I'm all about it. We can we can talk about this. Yeah. I don't want to talk about the first stuff, but then, like, he's on the L.A. Metro. Yeah, he's just. Sitting there and he's holding like, a bag of like you would get, like, a goldfish bag and, like, you know, you just bought goldfish, but these are bigger fish, not like huge, but they're like as big as your hand. And he's staring at the bag and he stares at some people on the train and smiles. And then he looks down. And now the entire train floor is covered in like a foot or two of water and a bunch of those fishers swimming around. So now that's in the train. He was just holding the fish. Now they're all over the train. That's really like a first thing of like, oh, oh, boy, here we go. Like, yeah, we're I just thought we were in reality, we are not like, okay, okay. Here we go. Yeah. I remember even feeling a bit of resistance to it at first, and because then it transitions to him crawling around in this water in what appears to be as we would learn to be his home. But you don't know that. Yep. And so I was like, okay, all right. That's where I that's where I was like, okay, I need to I need to take a breath. Don't try to figure it out. Yeah, don't try and figure it out because the first two scenes were so cool and they set me up for something. And then now I'm here and I'm like, okay, I need this to kind of like, let the movie take me. Then the best thing happened where we get to this Mexican army, I guess is the best way to and I lost my shit. I was cracking up and. It's all real. Like, those aren't like it's not CGI. That's a green screen. Like, they're like, dude, it's just great. And the conversation that him and this I don't even know who they got he was. Jason Peters did like revolution Arie Road. Yeah it's stuff. Yeah. Yeah. And just the conversation that they have where he's like, you bought it from us? And he's like. Yeah, like so it was with that where I was like, okay, and I'm all about it. But the, the moment for me of the movie was where it's about halfway through where we get to the dance place. It's the big. That's. The big thing that like his celebration and so much happens in this whole entire sequence from the conversation with his arch enemy, our. Guys silver arrows being given, like, an award for journalism. Yeah, big deal. But he's being mocked for it by his Mexican peers who were saying, like, cool, cool guy, you went to America to, like, get this stuff and like, you turned your back on Mexico, which is how Inarritu felt a lot like, you know, move to America, had success. Families like we, you know, Los Angeles. Yeah. But can we go back to Mexico? Like to our roots. So yes, yes. Keep going. And so when I'm when I jump forward here, like so much happens in between where we get to know a little bit more, as absurd as it is in your reach, who is filling us in with these truths? I think I guess these are the handful of truths. Exactly. Exactly. Family. His relationship to Mexico, his relationship to success. These these are the things that are in his life. And then everything else is the weirdness. And so nothing is is explained is well, is that one conversation he has with his archenemy on the rooftop? So that to me, yeah, the talk show hosts that to me were where I was like, okay, I didn't necessarily need this, but maybe I did, but now I can ground everything that I've seen up until this point and everything that will probably happen later on throughout the movie. I can ground in this foundation and I was really, really appreciative of that because it was also very well-done, it was very well-written, it was very well explained, for lack of a better term. There was a part of me that was craving it. Like, let me let me just like, like get some type of a. Latch on to. Yeah, foothold, yeah, yeah. That's what it gives you. And, and it was perfect. And I loved the bathroom scene with his dad. That was my favorite moment. And then the dance that all of this that I'm talking about happens in like this like 20, 25 minute sequence. And then the dancing was just one of the most beautiful things that I had seen. I, I love dancing and stuff. I always kind of find dancing is surprisingly a difficult thing to capture on film. It was hard to get the jubilation of it to get to like this, to get the pure joy of it. And I think the way to do that is let go, which everyone in this scene does. Be goofy, be silly. And that's it. Yeah. And it's not like because you can watch a beautifully choreographed dance climax, for example, and but I'm not connecting to my relationship with dance when I'm watching Climax, I'm just watching some unbelievable choreography. Yes, I agree. I agree. If I if I'm connecting to what it feels like to dance this movie, like, yeah, did I go, oh my God. And made you want to get up and dance like I don't you want to get there doing it climax. But I can do this goofy stuff, you know, or try. Yep. And it made me want to be around people. It made me want to be around friends and family. And that's the type of dance that is, I don't know, it's a whole different thing. And I loved it. I just loved it so much. I'm done. Okay. No, I want to go into there are some things I'm willing to like, talk about some scenes to kind of highlight the absurdity, because I don't want people to think that like it's all it's like, oh, shocking and scary. Like, not really like something's in it. You're like, whoa, okay. But the bathroom scene you mentioned is really cool because he just goes like, take a leak, you know, it's our guy. And he spots someone in the mirror, turns around, he realizes this is his dad, who we kind of gather like, I don't think this guy is alive anymore necessarily. And then it cuts. They're just talking, they're face to face and then it cuts to like a profile shot of them. So they're both in the same frame. And our main character has like shrunk to the size of a boy as he's talking to his dad. So that's that's what we're talking about, like the absurdity of, like, that's very on the nose. Like he feels kind of inferior in his father's eyes. Like, you know, he's this, he's this, he's a kid to his dad type of thing. That's another small bit of absurdism that really, really worked and just communicated everything it needed to say, like, Oh, I understand exactly how this guy views his dad, how his he thinks his dad views him. Oh, just it was perfect. That's a little bit about what the movie's about. We're going to talk a lot more about it, cinematography, all that. But let's try to tee this up a little bit for people. I'm not sure how good of a job I'm going to do here because it sounds kind of scary, but we're talking about absurdism in film. We can just have that broader conversation. Now, if there are primers for Bardo, things that like like if you have seen Fellini's eight and a half, one could argue this is kind of in your iTunes version of that. It's this remake of like a director stepping into an absurdist reframing of his own life. And I think that would be fair that that was a movie I thought of a lot when I watched this. I did think of Gas Bar in a away films, but not with like the harsh evil extremism that his movies can have. More like just some of the some of the more shocking things in Bardo. I went, Oh, well, like you, you just had the audacity to go there. But again, it's not, it's not like extremism bloody. No, that's not what I'm talking about. And then I'm Malik, honestly. Well, I'm just like floats and lingers. The compositions are so beautiful, Malick. Particularly like Tree of Life. Like you're swimming, like, out of the house and like that type of surrealistic stuff. I just thought, Yeah. Well, this was. This was Emmanuelle, right? No, no. We're going to get to shot at actual shot it person who shot this is a guy name Darius Kanji. He's an Iranian cinematographer. It is not Emmanuel Lubezki and he's done so much. He did just his one Oscar nomination. I know his name. I've heard that name. Yeah. Listen to this shit. Listen to these credits. This is not all of it. These are just the highlights. Delicatessen seven The Beach Panic Room My Blueberry Nights. Funny Games Midnight in Paris Amore The Immigrant The Lost City of Z Okja Uncut Gems. Armageddon Time Barred Off the Fucking Bars. Do I mention all those movies? I've seen a lot of the movies he shot, but I mention all those because I have seen them and I like the way they look. Nothing comes close to how Bardo looks. 65 millimeter film. It's that's another reason I've gone back to the theater so many times because I know once this thing leaves the theater, I'm not going. It's gone, it's on Netflix. And I'm like, I just need to go see the spectacle again. Like, I just need to see the shot to kill. That guy is and I mean, this was like the biggest compliment ever. Every single movie that you just referenced has such a specific cinematic look. Yeah, but they're all different. Yep. Like they all appeal to that director. Or so he is like, if I think about it, because like most cinematographers like, which I but that's why I thought of as many or. Lubezki Right, because that looks like an Emmanuel Lubezki movie. Like that's who Inarritu has worked with for a long time now. So that's why his movies have that particular look. So he's giving us that look because that's in your retools. Yeah. Vision. Yeah. So this this cinematographer is like every director's dream. Bardo does not look like other like Darius comes no movies. They don't I mean even seven in panic room don't look anything like and that's the best I mean yeah yeah like it's it's crazy how he is adopted. He's the most adaptable cinematographer ever. Yeah. Like, so for, for injury to his first four films, we have Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel and Beautiful. Those were were all shot by Rodrigo Pietro who does like Scorsese in movies now he did The Irishman great gritty esthetic. He did 25th hour like amazing DP. Then Birdman and The Revenant were shot by Chivo Emmanuel Lubezki, who won Oscars for both of those, and those have their own. The Revenant is not a gritty movie. It's a tough movie. But the look of that is not gritty. It's more like just beautiful carnage. It's like what you're watching where it's like 21 grams Babel. Those things are so gritty and grainy to the core. But so we had Rodrigo did his first four movies. Chivo did, too. And now we have Darius doing this one. And I didn't know who shot it. The first time I watched it, I was in the credits waiting for Chivas name to show up and I'm like, Yeah. That's. Wow. It just looks it looks so good. It's like saturated when it needs soup. And then also like that sequence in Bato of the the immigration was like. Oh, so well. Stage and there is no CGI in that. There's no green screen. It's like those are real people trying to cross over. That's real dirt. I was like, Holy shit, this is it was stunning to look at, feel like I get ahead of myself. So many times have been like, Oh, vortex best. Best movie of the year, best looking movie. I love vortex. I love it, I love it, I love it. This is I mean, come on, Bardo. Like, the way this thing looked was just really on another level, shot on film, not using a lot of computer imagery. At least not that I could tell. I mean, I definitely noticed certain some. Substance itself there, but I mean, like the stuff that you want to be real like. Yes, hundreds of people trying to cross like a border to emigrate. I don't want to see like a fluffy kind of glossed over. I'm talking literally greenscreen gloss over thing I want to see like it actually be that and it was actually that you can actually tell and. This is something like I enjoyed my experience seeing in the theater so much because there's so much to visually feast on. But then what your point earlier about sound like the way the way that you were talking about certain sound elements would be coming from my right side of my ear to my left side of your movie that's wishing in between, you know, like I mean, obviously, yes. If you've got like surround sound speakers in your house and you've basically made for yourself a theater experience, then yeah, fine. But this is a movie where it really does make a difference to see that, because like that opening scene, you're not going to feel like that at home. You're not going. Oh, you're not, you're not. It's it's a shame. Yep. Yeah, you're not. Because I was like I was transported. I genuinely and. Oh, my God. Yeah, you. I hope if you have a good system at home, just boost the brightness up on the TV, turn off that terrible emotion bullshit and just boost everything, you know, get it, get it where it needs to be. Get that sound up there. Final thought on terror is not final thought, but one Oscar nomination for Evita and didn't even win. But that's I mean, come on. Oh, yeah. He needs to be nominated for this. This is ridiculous. Like, I don't know if he will. Oh, my God. He. She has to. He's got to win. Has to. I mean, every well, every single we're jumping around here, but. Well, that's. What the movie does. Well, that's true. Every single film that injury to has made has been nominated for Oscars. And this is one where I'm like, it is Mexico's official entry for foreign language film. I feel like it will get there. I'd be very surprised if it doesn't. But I don't. I don't know. Does this get, like an editing or cinematography nomination? I don't I don't know what we're going to see. But it'd be strange if it's the only film of his that doesn't get a nomination. Even his first one got nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. I love that movie. Oh, my. God. No, I think it will, because, I mean, it's also accessible to American audiences because, like they're. True is that they. Know the director's name. It's Netflix. It's I think it lends itself I think it's really just going to be a matter of what people think. I'm terrified, to be honest. Like I, I don't well. It's not going to be like the blond backlash because there's nothing it's not that punishing of a movie. There's nothing offensive. Yeah, yeah, there's nothing offensive or punching. But I just think it might be if people fall out of this one, I think it might be a little too weird kind of for people to latch on to. But I mean, I don't know. I would imagine like people who have Mexican heritage or from like this is like the most Mexican movie ever made. It was so like pro Mexico. And why did you leave, buddy? Like, Mexico wants you like, come here. Like, let me tell you about our history. I just, I, I don't think a lot of people are going to flock to this. I think it's going to be a weird, like, kind of Alex and Nick movie. But this is not as distancing as blond. It is. No, it's not. But it's I think you made a good point earlier about people finishing this because I think especially because it's coming to Netflix. Yeah, yeah. Let's face it, the majority of people who even attempt to watch this are going to watch it through Netflix and they're going to turn this on and then being like, what is this? I hope that people give this a shot. I hope that I guess the best thing that I would say about this is the way that I would promote it. The best would be like go into it feeling like knowing like you're about to like have a dream because that's how the movie is. If I was to give advice to someone about See Bardo, think of it like a dream and have fun. That's it. Yeah. And then hopefully when you wake up, you can, you can like make enough sense of the dream and you're like, Oh yeah, that was a cool dream. And maybe, Oh, okay, yeah, I get it. Like, enough of the dots will be connected, but don't be sitting there trying to. What the hell does this mean? What is. This? Don't you see. You're going to be stuck on scene one and you're going to be 30 minutes into the movie. Still stuck back there, just like, yeah, go with it. It's like a mosaic. Just let it kind of wash over you. But let's get back to kind of the absurdist vibe. I just want to talk about absurd films kind of in general. If there's anything I don't know that like triggered your brain when you were watching Bardo, cause Bardo, to give a little context like this movie was not well-received at festivals earlier this year. Festivals like Telluride and Venice, where it premiered Inarritu It did not get good reviews, so any Rita immediately chopped it 22 minutes out of the movie. And some of that footage is clearly in the trailer. And I'm here going like, Give me the injury to cut. Like, Oh, I'll take it. All right, now it clocks in at 2 hours and 39 minutes, which again is his longest film. But it seems to be this version is better received than the version. The first version people saw. At least that's what I'm hearing. This is one of the fastest pace long movies I've seen. I never checked my phone once for the time. I was just along for the ride and I. Did feel the length of it. And there were times where I did check my phone. Does it? Yeah. Okay. So no, no, no. Like absurdity in film, I think you were kind of touching on it earlier. Like, I think one of the reasons you and I both like it is that if it's done well, I think the intention of it is that you can kind of get closer to the truth if you paint with an absurdist brush, or at least it can be a more interesting way. I think that is absolutely Charlie Kaufman's ultimate goal was something like Schenectady, New York. Yeah, it was my biggest like comparison to this movie. It was connected in New York for sure. Yeah. Like we've seen a lot of movies about like guys having midlife crisis years and we don't know how it's going to end for them. Like What is my life and All About? I've seen a lot of those and it just, you know, it's like a ho hum thing. That's how it goes. I ain't never seen anything like Schenectady, New York. And that's what the movie is. Yeah, it's like this midlife crisis. I've never seen it done that way. I mean, there are and there are a lot of directors who have dabbled in this. It doesn't mean they only make absurdist movies, but like Louie Bunuel, who I mentioned a lot on the podcast, he has The Exterminating Angel, that one that I've talked about a lot. Yeah. The Lobster by Yorgos is a very. Oh yeah movie Birdman by Inarritu. Sure that counts as a serious film. Eraserhead, Brazil Skits. Apple's Wet Hot American Summer is an absurd movie. That going for that vibe. Yeah. Yeah. A lot of comedies do this. Monty Python, you venture a little bit into like parody versus absurdism. But yeah, there's for every good absurdist film, I can probably name five ones, but like some of the goats Schenectady, New York, the lobster I just mentioned sketch topless because we both love that. What, like there's no no normal human being can sit down and turn on skits topless. And even during the first scene, if you're sitting there going like, is this real? Like, No, you need to given that it's just crazy absurdity, that's all. And see if it lands somewhere but Herzog, Bergman, Harmony Korine, David Lynch, as I mentioned, Eraserhead, these are no strangers to using absurdity surrealism to make a very significant point. But whether that point means something to the individual person may vary vary well. And that's the thing, too, is because like, you know, you take a movie like Dr. Strangelove. Yep. And the absurdity of that is pointing out some very, very real fears and flaws politically in world. Yeah. Where this in like Schenectady, New York are very personal like the absurd, like the truth that the absurdism helps point out are much more emotional as opposed to like worldly in that way. But it doesn't matter. Like Waiting for Godot is probably like the best example of absurdism that is out there. And you can take that for whatever the fuck you want. School, glass, house, sort of image. Like there's no right. Like if someone's like, No, you're wrong for thinking like this because you had that like a reaction to it. Like, that's just, that's just ludicrous. Yeah. And the episode, the previous episode, I was just talking about bones and all and how like I, I guess your read could be, this is just a cannibal movie, but it could also be about a lot of other things, like whatever you apply to Bardo, it's not. That's what I would recommend. Like there's so much for you as an individual person to put on this movie. That's what's so cool about you can take away so much of your own things, and I don't think that makes you wrong. Whether or not, you know, I don't think there are definitive answers in this thing here. And I've been listening to a lot of interviews with Henry, too, and he seems like that's what people are missing. Like this is a fun movie about like the absurdity of life, but how that can all land. And it seems like I don't know, I just don't I don't want people to put hit play on Netflix and be like, this doesn't make sense. So I'm rejecting it. Just like, give it a chance, that's all. But I know I see your face. A lot of people are going to do that. Trust me. I know. I'm just saying. They're going to do it. The very smart people that listen to this podcast, maybe they will. Maybe they'll just let it play out. I don't know. Are mad movie buffs come through. Yeah. Where they think I'm an asshole. We are assholes for recommending this so good. So strongly. But I mean, we spend so much of blond with these like disclaimers like, okay, it's NC 17. I know what you're getting yourself into. There's no disclaimer for Bardo. You're going to see some crazy shit, some fun shit, but it's fun. It's funny. Oh, always. But you know, it's for point. Well, I think this is probably if if if you look at the history of what are you watching in the movies that we've really taken big swings to support, this is probably the most accessible like. One of the short shorts. Which we we tried really hard with Malcolm Marie and blond. Mikey and Nikki Cheez-Its. Yeah, we like crickets. Yeah. Okay. Kind of. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We hold these. We hold true to our beliefs. Yeah, exactly. Like we, we stand by them. But I think this might be a maybe you can ask us this in color. I don't know. Yeah, color helps color us. All right. Accessibility and Inarritu are not two words I would use a lot, but let's get in him, because this is one of my favorite living directors. Filmmakers is actually a better term. We mentioned our friend Dan on the previous podcast as well, and he he and I talk a lot about the industry, the how, what the town is up to, what's making money, what are people seeing? He and I talk about that a lot more than actual the content of the movies because I think he's much more interested in just like the buzz or whatever around a movie then. Yeah, sometimes what's going on in the movie. So when the festival suffer, Bardo is happening, he's like, How do you feel, man? It doesn't sound like it's doing well. And I went, Look, I've seen his six features. I love all of them. I don't know. I genuinely in my life don't know anyone else who loves all of his movies. Maybe Eddie Reed who loves them all that much. He speaks to me in a way that very few directors do because he understands pain so well and in every one of his movies. But in most of them. So I just want to do a few shout outs for him. Well, yeah, because there's a few them I haven't seen. Yeah. And then there's of course the conversation about Babel so. Well that's a yeah, that's all right, we'll get there. So he's made seven films total. They've all been nominated for Oscars. We'll see if Bardo can keep that streak alive. He has four Oscars for writing, producing and directing Birdman and then for directing The Revenant. He is one of three directors to win back to back directing Oscars. John Ford did it in 1940, in 1941, Joseph L Mankiewicz did it in 1949. In 1950, then injury to Doesn't in 2014 and 2015. That is a coveted company. The Academy likes this guy. I mean, that's that's clear like they do they have nominated his work not always. He hasn't always won for stuff. But we're going to go through this body of work and I'm just recommending all seven of these movies. I'm not going to lie to you and say this year, these are easy movies. Most of them aren't. But I also want to say that the day before we recorded this, I watched them all, spent my entire day from 10 a.m. to a litter. I was going to say, What's the time frame here? I didn't rewatch Birdman or Bardo because I just had but I did the rest and I just went all around. But we'll start at the beginning. We start with three films that he qualifies as his Loose Death trilogy, first with Oh yeah, a morris Paris in 2000. We've talked this one. This is it's like three different stories. I rented this because I saw it at Blockbuster and on the cover it said, This is the Mexican Pulp Fiction. And I went sold. It was like the year 2000. I went, okay, sold, went home, never seen anything like it. Like Pulp Fiction comparisons are fair. There's like three stories split up by chapters, but this thing is go for broke, like high octane. I mean, it's just nuts. It's all connected. Three stories are connected by a horrific car accident that opens the film. Now, that car accident does open the film, but like 45 minutes into the movie, we see that accident a second time. Inarritu edited this movie himself. He takes that scene we've already seen in a realistic fashion in the beginning in the movie, like hyper realistic. And then he uses that same footage to turn that scene into a visual and auditory nightmare. Like, the sound doesn't match. It's fucking crazy. It's so astounding. Like this first time director, not enough people do that. Like, it's really, really cool to see him how he's kind of, you know, reimagining something. So I love that movie. You would like that movie too? Tough movie. I mean, when the movie opens with no animals were harmed in the making of this film, I'm like, oh yeah. Dogfighting is a dogs play a central role in the three stories that's like what it's about in the beginning. It's dog fighting. In the second one, it's about kind of a toy dog that gets lost. And then the third one, it's about a a houseless man who just has his dogs, his company. There's a lot more to each story than just that, trust me, a lot more. But this is like this thing. It's pain to the bone. I love this movie. Loved how it ends as well. Oh, my God. Number two is second film. He crosses over to America and he makes a little movie called 21 Grams. This is about as punishing a film if I've ever seen about grief. In just a few weeks, this movie will be 20 years old. Count it twice. And I don't know if I've seen a more realistic portrayal of grief since, you know, it's I yeah. Kind of like my bar for acting is Naomi Watts in this. I just think what she did in it, I could watch it. Oh, my God. Over and over. And it's such a tough movie to watch. It's all told out of order. You have to keep up with it. It's really putting you in this headspace, this disjointed headspace, again, all centered around a horrific car accident that connects all these people together. He made this story as a love letter to his wife, which I love to tell grim thoughts. I know you like to smile. Oh, yeah. I mean, I think you said it right. Like if I really had $2 of donuts, as I always like to say, if I had to pick one movie, that kind of represents grief. And in that honesty, in an intensive ways, it has to be this like there there's just nothing really that really kind of captures it. And it's also like it's also so beautiful. That's the thing. That's the thing that is absolutely hit every single movie, all the his most punishing movies. To me, they do not end in despair. They end with these with this odd beauty of like hope, even if it's tough, like, it doesn't mean that just because the way the story ends, everything's going to be okay for these characters. But it might be yet things might be okay. Even though you've been through almost literal hell, life still might be livable. Like, just find some hope in it, find some connection. That's why I love it so much. And it's also romantic in a way. Of course, you. Know the heart, you know, I mean, that's that's just a I don't want to say what it is. I don't it doesn't really give away that, does it? No, it's fine. People can know so, so, so. Basically Naomi Watts, this character loses her entire family in a car crash in her husband's heart. It was transplanted into Sean Penn's character. Who needs a heart? Yep. And these two find each other. And there is like on Sean Penn's part, there is an immediate attraction and connection. That's a better word to to Naomi Watts. And so, like, it leaves you with, you know, the the wonderful romantic, spiritual notion that, you know, soulmates are real and the heart can find what it loved. You know, again, like, that's just a beautiful thought. And like, that to me is just like, that's just a creative idea and such a beautiful one set in one of the most awful of of situations. Yeah. It's, I mean, it's a gritty movie. I still have my a text you this like a year ago. I'm going to need to reserve like a weekend and I'm going to drop this movie into my editing bay and put it in order. I'm not going to share it. I'm not going to like pirated or oh, you know, I want to try that just as like a, as an experiment. I want to see what it's like because they shot it in order and then it, you know, messed it all up in editing on purpose. You wouldn't you would have to shoot something like this in order because it's so the structure of it is so complex. But that is part of the part of the joy. His third film, one of my favorite movies of the past 15 years, we have Babel, His Love Letter to Children. Now, we've never really talked about this on the podcast, and I have a few theories, but really shortly into us meeting, you told me how strongly you disliked this movie and I immediately just push back and I'm like, Why? And you told me, and this is a while ago that you said this. So what you told me is you it's a huge pet peeve for you when you watch people make stupid decisions like movies like repeatedly, which I get. And you also said he didn't like movies about kids, but I think you've changed that. I watched this movie last night. I rewatched it again last night. And there's every stupid decision made in this movie. Like that is the point. That's the point of what did it like the woman leaving and taking the kids to go to her son's wedding in Mexico like her nephew asked like ten times, like, are you are you sure about this? Like, should we just be taking them like, ah, I don't have anyone else to watch. And like, are you sure? Like, yes, that's fine. Let's just go. It's an immediacy of like, Oh no, this will all be fine. Then it ain't going to be fine. Like, you can't overextend yourself. These kids are being kids and they're being dumb and they've just gotten a hold of this brand new toy. It just so happens that the toy is a deadly rifle and they're instructed by their father, go kill these like, you know, these wolves in these things. So they stop messing with our goats and they decide to take a few pop shots at a bus. Oops, it doesn't go well. That's a very stupid decision. But then from there, like, I'm not telling you, you have to like this movie. A lot of people I don't know, a lot of people don't. I think this is one of the most honest portrayals of just human connection that I have ever seen. In the end, I was crying last night when it was on. I think it's so profoundly moving and I, I mean, I rep babble so hard. I have since 2006. I love this movie. Oh my God, I love it. But what I want to say to you is I would I would really, really love for you to watch it again now, and preferably with me in the room with you, because I think I could change you. I think I could change your mind. Well. And I'll be fair. I have only seen that movie once, and it was when it came out. And my my tastes have changed a lot. They have your tastes change significantly starting in like 2007 I feel like is when you were really like yes. Starting to come over because this thing man especially knowing that you like 21 grams and that you liked Bardo and you like The Revenant, like it's all babbles, just like in your Re2 fair. There's nothing that's, you know, it does it it's kind of it's in his lane. So but again, I'm not saying like if you don't like this movie, you're, you know, a lot of people don't I do. Not know if you're 100% right and I'm open to it because I recognize that like that that that was then. This is now. But you did bring up a very true point, is that I do not like when characters do stupid things, but what I may needed more of, or at least for me to kind of justify that thought process is what you were saying. Like there are there is justification for in a way like some was asking are you sure you want is are you sure you want to do this? But even when you were saying it, I was like, I could feel my insides being like, Oh my God. Just like, why would you do it? Like I could feel it. But it's the movie is it's not just stupid people doing stupid things for no reason. If there if there's logic being put in place by opposing forces to where the stupid decision is still made, then like I can wrap my head around that a little bit more. So all of that is just to say I would like to rewatch it. Good, good. I would like I mean, you know, we're going to be together here soon. We'll do for a. Little bit for New Years, do a little babble some we'll do babble. And Babylon, baby. Yeah, that is that's awesome. You know, that's what we'll do. There's we're definitely Babylon's to be one we're going to cover. We have no idea if we're going to like it. We don't know. We're going to see together the theater and record a part right after. So stay tuned for that one. That's going to be it's going to be fun. But yeah, I do think would be good to give Babel another try. I would just I would urge you to just because I like it so much. Well, we'll do it together. We'll do it together. Here we go. We could do a live commentary. Of babble no one would listen to it all included. So it's so sad. What is wrong with you. Beautiful 2010 starring Javier Bardem. This is his love letter to his dad. This is the one I've seen the least. I own every Inarritu movie and I will own. Pardo watched Beautiful again last night. Harvey Javier Bardem is dubbed the highlight here. He got nominated for best actor for it just it's a really, really intense movie about a guy like down on his luck in Spain trying to trying to make a buck trying to get by he has this mother of his children is a very unstable case and it's about the relationship with his kids. And also there's this there's some mythical stuff to it, like he can kind of communicate with the recently dead and but that's not like overall what the movie's about. It's just it's cool. It's a really, really well-done movie that not a lot of people talk about. He wanted clearly to do something a little less mainstream than 21 Grams and Babel, where those are like mainstream movies. But, you know, he's like, I'm going to Spain. I'm making a movie with Javier. Yeah. I'd be interested to get your take on this one, too. I would love to see this one. I remember you. You had a conversation with me. Can't remember when I think it was one time when I was over and I was just like reading through your DVD collection, and I spotted that when I go, you know, I've never seen this one. And you I think that was all you needed to just go off like, Whoa, do this, you've got this, this, and then like great praise that was receiving. Yeah, that was a terrible expression, actually. Great. You know, it's. Whoa, do you just got a whoa, you really broke. Go watch to see it. You read to this is another one where it took like in that in the last scene I'm like, oh I get it. I didn't really know where you were headed. I it so it's kind of like Bardo in that way where I was like, Oh, you were this is all for a reason. I get it now. All for a reason. Takes four years off, comes back with Birdman or the unexpected virtue of ignorance in 2014. I mean, this thing is like it's a huge hit. It's probably most well-known movie. It winds Picks. Yeah. Director screenplay. What's missing from that, Nick? Best actors missing. No comment. It pissed off. Every time I talk about it. Yes, you do. Yes, you do. Let's not do it. Picture director or screenplay. I should have gone to Boyhood. Just one. Just one of them. I don't care which one best actor should have gone to Birdman. Michael fucking Keaton, where I can talk about who won. Because that's not what this podcast is about. Birdman. I like Birdman. I like it a lot. It's it's just a straightforward movie. Well, it seems like it's great. So well done. I watched it last week. So well done, so confidently made. And, like, I just can't believe they pulled it off and they're actually there. You can tell, like, those aren't sets like they are in that theater. Oh, it's so cool. That was 2000. 14 was a cool year. Like it was like if you look at like, you know, how different a movie like Boyhood which is just like really like one of the most original never been done. And then you get something crazy like Birdman and then you get something like whiplash. Like, I mean, like that. Just like those three movies alone come out in the same year are just it's cool. It's cool. Year. It was it was a cool year followed by I will never forget this 2015. For me, it was like when things changed. I remember writing my top ten of the year list and seeing I. I only saw one great movie this year, one kind of really good movie. And that was The Revenant. And I don't I also saw gas far in a ways love. I should have been touting that a little higher because I do love that movie. But yeah, The Revenant like I just I don't get what happened at this. I don't get that. How now it just seems like serious. It's so cool, like hate on it and shit on it and I guess it's just easy to poke fun at again. I started this last night and then I was like dozing off because it was, you know, one in the morning. So I finished it watch the last 45 minutes this morning and I was like, It's not as entertaining to watch to me as Bardo. Like, I seen Bardo in The Revenant the same amount of times, which is kind of crazy to admit. But what he did technically is you cannot turn your back on it. And that's why he won Best Director, I think. And it's just such an achievement. It's such a feat. And I don't know, I really like it. Like, I think it's really well done. I don't hate on it at all. So I'm here for The Revenant, I guess. Is that weird to say? No, I don't know. It's got one of the greatest animal, the human race scenes you'll ever see. I just don't understand why. People still talk about that. Yeah, what's that? I. Ali wanted to see this movie. She wanted to see it, and I was like, this isn't the kind of movie I would normally show you. Like, very patient. Like, it's it's good. And then we put it on, the bear comes up, it's about to happen. And she's like, Is this really like a sexual assault by a bear? And I went, Damn it. So that's yeah, you did hear that. And you really thought that was real. And she's like, Well, yeah, no, no, we just fucking molds them. Like, it's like, I don't even know how that got started. Like, that is one of the most asinine rumors of a movie that just isn't true at all. It's I don't know. That's a it's just a weird, weird like Internet gossip to be brought up. And then the movie comes out and it's just a bear mauling him. There's no like, what the fuck are you people talking about? I had no idea I was talking to my mom because, like, I thought my mom would really like this movie, and she's a big fan of Leo. And I was like, You got and I've been pushing her for like a year, and I'm like, Have you seen The Revenant? And she goes, Yeah, I just I just don't really feel like I want to watch someone get raped by a bear. And I go, I had never heard this. Oh, my, I didn't know this was a rumor. And I just burst out like I go, what's it? She goes, Yeah, yes. Then what happened? They go, No, I mean, where did you hear? She goes, Everyone's saying that. And it's true that that's that's a rumor that's out there about that movie. That makes no. Sense. And I'm still dealing with people saying that there's talking fetuses and blond and I'm like, guys, it's a manifestation of her guilt like that. The fetus wasn't talking. It's her. Okay, never mind. I'm just going to go at least with this one. You can just straight up say, no, that doesn't happen here. Well, that's true. Yeah. Yeah, there is, though. Yeah, okay, there is. And there is was not. So then his longest break between films seven years it takes get to Bardo but that's not seven years like he wasn't doing nothing he was practicing for Bardo. Like I said, that first scene that we keep hinting at, it took him like a year to figure out how to technically do that. It's a big production. It stars as Silverado. Daniel Jimenez. Chucho, I'm so sorry. I know me with the words, the names. I'm sorry. This is a guy that I've seen like intermittently, but he's been in Memoria, which is that weird movie with Tilda Swinton that people talk about that's out now. Get that gringo bad education for Almodovar, Cronos for Guillermo del Toro and was in Alfonso Cuaron's first movie. I mentioned that because Del Toro, Karen and Inarritu were all like best friends, Mexican filmmakers, best friends. They completely took over the Oscars in the 20 tens. Like, it was awesome. We had let me try to do out my head. Karen had Gravity Best Director. Then the next year it's Birdman Director Picture Screenplay 2015 is Inarritu in director 16 is a by year 17 is Shape of water. So Del Toro when is director that wins picture 2018 Cuaron wins for directing and cinematography. He shot Roma, so he wins that. So that's like, that's a good run. There's three friends, three Mexican filmmaker friends who were just crushing it at the Oscars. I love it. Viola in Mexico. Yeah, exactly. But he's so good. So good in this movie are so much just pathos and depth. I loved watching him. I loved everyone. I loved everyone in the cast. I just I don't know them that well because I've never really seen them in movies before. And that's okay. I also want to point out that as a true, genuine artist, Inarritu did the music for this movie. He also edited this movie. Bardo is a real artistic achievement by an actual artist. I could say so much more, but I don't want to ruin it for people were really using this episode as like a push to get you to hit play on Netflix and stick with it. Stick with it. Yeah, stick with it. What else do we have to say about Bardo to questions? Number one, how do you actually think this will do on Netflix? And then let's just do a final selling point of like stick around for people. You know. I think it's going to do terrible. And yet people I think. Critically this may be a very different story, but I'd like to be very pessimistic about the way that I look at the way people are just taking in movies today. I don't have confidence in America. Fair enough. Yeah. I mean, I don't want to use my time here to try to convince people that Bardo is a masterpiece. I want to try to convince people to give it a chance. Yeah, that's all. That's all we're trying to do. Like, give it a chance. It is. If you like his movies, if you are in and you read to fan, this will have something for you. You'll enjoy it. And you know, if you want something different is a way different kind of movie. I loved it so much. We are going to go to a what are you watching? But I want to I'm just going to rank here because I love him so much some to rank them for the folks ready. Am I ever. For my in theory to rankings. All right number seven. I love all of these, by the way, Birdman. Whoa! All the way down at number seven. Number six, beautiful. Number five, The Revenant. Number four, Bardo. Number three, Amores Perros. Number two, Babel, number 121 grams. Oh, yeah. What would be your favorite of the ones you've seen? Who oh, Nick. Oh. Oh, the I think, I think I heard him. Oh, I. Am Nick fucking Pequod. The Revenant. The Revenant. Well done. Well, geez. Okay, I got to do little tease for next time. What are you watching? Yeah. Okay, so our next episode is going to be released on December 22nd, just in time for the holiday weekend. And what the hell? Why not? Let's do Ingmar. So we are going to cover Ingmar Bergman, my favorite filmmaker of all time in our next episode. This one's a big one. We're very excited about it. It will not be as long as the Tarantino podcast, I promise. I have structured the conversation in a way to make it not alienating for people who have never seen a Bergman film. So hopefully people who are huge fans of his films like We Are will appreciate our insight and hopefully, even if you are new to his work, we can dispel some of the mystique surrounding his films because as we're going to talk about a lot, some of his films are not nearly as difficult to watch as people may have heard. That's also that's a tease for next time or coming in hot with Ingmar Bergman. Stay tuned for that one. That was it. Do you want to go first or what? Are you watching? The course? I'm going to go first. I have a really good recommendation. So do I. I highly I. It's good. It's good shit, man. This is this is actually one of my one of my more favorite absurdist movies that I remember you and I talked about a little bit back when it came out. And that is a pigeon sat on a branch reflecting on existence. Wow. Jesus, that's a yeah cut. What do you like about that? I love this movie. I love this movie. I haven't thought about that forever. Yeah, that's. That's a good word. Oh, well, that's a good it's just. It's it's one of the it reminds me of Waiting for Godot a lot. I mean, I guess it was just absurdism, but I just remember seeing this movie and maybe it's 2014. Yeah. And I was just sort of like, Yeah, all right, it's good to see something like this. It's so. Out there. I know. It's so out. Yeah, I like that. Okay. Okay. Gowans, the last time you saw that 2014. Yes. Savior. Yeah, yeah, that's a good one. My, what are you watching? Recommendation is Bardo. Go watch it. Don't roll your eyes to me. Jesus Christ. It's a quadruple doubt. I'm not kidding, people. Bardo is the best motion picture I've seen since waves. Oh, my God. Now waves now. Is the best motion picture I've seen since Shame. It's just my personal taste. I love Bardo. I love it. Go watch it. I'm glad I'm doing me a favor. Go watch it. I'm glad that we're talking about it this way because now everyone, you can understand what it's like to have a cell phone. You can have my cell phone and have Alex text you. Oh, yeah. Like I'm the hardest fucking person to be texting with. Yeah. It's so tough to be text with someone who's so enthusiastically passionate about movies. 24 seven Why don't you put a mirror on yourself? It's like, just send you a text, cupcake. Take it to the spa and two weeks to respond. Don't even hear sex. That's something that I didn't even ask you. What the hell did you say the other day? Oh, your moral dilemma. Oh, yeah. This isn't even a call. I was like, What are you asked? I was like, I don't know. I was in a mood. Jesus, don't make fun of my texting. I won't text you about movies anymore anyway. No, don't you ever. Bardo, go see it. Bardo is on Netflix right now. You can while you're listening to this podcast, you can go hit play on it. It could just be a seamless transition from pod to feature. Seriously, I really love this movie. I'm so glad you saw it. I'm so glad you took the time to go see it in the theater. People will be able to see this in the theater. That's okay. Put it on Netflix. Let me know what you think I want to hear. Let us know at WW Underscore podcast on Instagram or Twitter. I will engage with you about this one. I promise, as always, thanks so much for listening and happy watching. Hey, everyone, thanks again for listening. You can watch my films and read my movie blog at Alex Withrow dot com. Nicholas Dose Tor.com is where you can find all of Nick's film work. Send us mailbag questions at What are you watching? Podcast at gmail.com or find us on Twitter at WUKY. W Underscore Podcast As mentioned next time it's all about Ingmar Bergman, my favorite filmmaker of all time. We are really going for it just in time for the holidays. Stay tuned.