Movie Review - The Revenant

   It's a brand new year, so let's start it off right with some violent crap! Is The Revenant really as boring as people say? Is this the film that will finally get Leo his Academy Award? Let's find out.

   The Revenant is loosely based on the experiences of fur trapper Hugh Glass. Taking place in the unorganized American frontier territory in the 1820's, Hugh Glass is left for dead by his trader partners after a vicious grizzly bear attack. He must then fight through his injuries, unfriendly wildlife, the elements, rival trappers, and hostile Native tribes to reach civilization and get his revenge. His backstory is revealed throughout via trippy dream sequences. The story isn't exactly anything new; instead the film places more of an attempt to engross the viewer into the overall experience. This it does an excellent job of, thanks in part to its focus on harsh realism (mostly), its slower pace, and its grittiness juxtaposed against the natural beauty of the locations. This is amplified by the fact that there are often long stretches without any dialogue.

   Leonardo DiCaprio is Hugh Glass, a role that goes through some dark places and tough situations. His does his job admirably, often with minimal speaking. It's definitely Oscar-worthy, though personally I doubt it'll take the cake on that one. Equally as impressive is Tom Hardy as John Fitzgerald, a disgruntled trapper most concerned with his own survival.

   As one might expect from a survival-revenge-thriller movie, The Revenant is pretty violent and bloody, but it is necessary and ironically satisfying. It's got the most ferocious bear attack this side of Faces of Death. The ending fight scene is agonizingly slow and exhausting, just as it should be; the fights in this film feel natural and intense.

   But by far the film's greatest strength is its production, especially the cinematography. Every shot looks gorgeous and you can tell that each one was meticulously plotted, framed, calculated, and lit. With numerous long, continuous shots that often take up a whole scene, is it any surprise that this film was directed by Alejandro Iñárritu, the same guy who did 2014's Birdman? (You know, that movie where the opening shot was over 100 minutes long.) Action scenes are made better by having the subject – for example, a character or a knife that characters are fighting over – always in the centre of the shot, or at least being followed by the camera the whole time. The production also displays great attention to detail. The sets, costumes, and makeup all look tiptop, right down to the characters' yellow, cracked teeth that I couldn't stop staring at for some reason.

   All in all, The Revenant, is an excellent film for people who enjoy intense survival films or even just people who like good-looking quasi-artsy movies. Its violence, slow pace, and emphasis away from conventional storytelling might be a turnoff for some viewers (who'll then find it boring). But for everyone else, The Revenant is a thrilling adventure and a great way to start off 2016.

Rating: five out of five!