Well that's cinema art Hollywoodesc, the director had a vision and he created, he crafted. It's fresh air because in Hollywood space distribution rarely see that and in that sense it's understandable that some laurel this as a masterpiece, in the essence of the world it is, now you may like it or not, personally not in the top ten, probably in the top 1000.
It is not a musical, but it has chanting, that's how the characters express themselves in their inner world and that's fine.
The story it doesn't matter done many times although with lgbt twist.
What matters is the emotional aspect to it done with care and well crafted, after all it is art cinema, so well done!
By the way, the director is 72, a lot of directors at this age they are not edgy anymore and don't have a strong voice, but this man directed robustly as a young fella...