The Revenant

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck, Paul Anderson, Kristoffer Joner, Joshua Burge Lukas Haas
Directed by: Alejandro G. Inarritu
Rating: R
Genre: Adventure, Thriller, Drama
2015

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: After being left for dead, a frontiersman (Leonardo DiCaprio) fights to survive and get revenge on those who abandoned him.

Review:

Tim: Director Alejandro G. Inarritu has emerged as one of the most fascinating, innovative directors working today. He follows up his Academy Award for Best Director (for Birdman) with another Best Director Academy Award. He has put together a stunning visual film in The Revenant, easily one of the best films of 2015.

Where Inarritu really separates himself is with the visuals of this movie. It won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, which is absolutely deserves. This is one of the most beautifully shot, amazing movies I have ever seen. It's gorgeous and just draws your eyes in- you don't want to look away. I still find it nearly unfathomable that the whole film was shot using only natural light. That makes a difficult shoot even harder, yet it was worth it- every scene in this film is just jaw-dropping and beautiful. There's zero doubt that Inarritu deserved his back-to-back wins, even in a year with very strong directorial efforts. No one else is doing what he's doing right now. The way he shot much of the film from a visual standpoint, to the close-up view of the battles, to the intense, unforgettable bear attack scene- this movie offers some of the most vivid, memorable visuals you will see.

It also helps that there are some great performances here. Leonardo DiCaprio is obviously at the top of that list, finally winning the elusive Academy Award for Best Actor. He doesn't have a ton of dialogue, but gives such a physical, in-your-face performance that it's impossible to look away. He committed fully to this role and makes everything feel real and believable. He was outstanding and I'm glad he finally won the award. Tom Hardy gives another very strong performance. He's such a good actor. I feel like some of the effectiveness of his performance is masked under the shadow of DiCaprio. This is a mistake, because Hardy is exceptional here. He deserved his nomination for Best Supporting Actor. I also enjoyed the smaller performances of Domhnall Gleeson (who is popping up everywhere in these smaller but effective roles), and Will Poulter. The cast was very strong here.

The Revenant is so good because it really takes you on a journey like too few movies do. You are transported to the Canadian wilderness and everything about the movie makes you feel like you are there. The rest of the world starts to drop off because of how invested you become in the characters and the story. Inarritu is very good at creating visual experiences and does so wonderfully here. This is an exciting adventure story. In a crowded year of exceptional films, this one definitely deserves great praise. I would actually put it third on my 2015 list (behind the franchise saving glee of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the emotional gut punch of Spotlight). That's not to take anything away from this movie- it is an expertly crafted film from a genius director and features one of the rawest, most memorable performances you will see from a lead actor. I loved the experience of watching this movie and believe we'll still be talking about this film decades from now.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Spotlight, Alive