Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson
Genre: Thriller, Adventure
Dwight's Rating: 3.5 STARS
Get out your book of superlatives.
You'll need them for, "The Revenant"; one of the wildest, most shocking, most violent, most visually stunning, and most impressive movies of 2015.
It is a masterpiece, vividly and outrageously examining themes of love and loss, survival, but especially revenge, and on an extreme, and some might say, over-the-top level. Way over-the-top!
But that journey to the top is one crazy, unbelievable ride!
The story follows legendary frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio), quite possibly the unluckiest or most jinxed man on the planet. While exploring the uncharted Montana and Dakota wilderness in 1823, he sustains injuries from a brutal bear attack. When his hunting team leaves him for dead, Glass must utilize his survival skills to find a way back home to his beloved family. Grief-stricken and fueled by vengeance, Glass treks through the wintry terrain to track down John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), the former confidant who betrayed and abandoned him.
Brace yourself! Nothing can prepare for anything that you will witness in this film. And you'll likely never catch your breath until the very end. I left the theater exhausted, but with renewed faith in the art of filmmaking, and in one filmmaker in particular; Alejandro G. Inarritu.
He must be hailed as an international treasure. As director, and co-screenwriter (along with Mark L. Smith), what he has achieved here is spellbinding. The movie is a beautiful piece of art. Each frame gorgeously composed, with stunning images of the cold and frosty wilderness. And the performances from the stellar catch are top notch.
Not surprisingly, "The Revenant" is up for the most nominations of any film for the upcoming Academy Awards - 12 in total. And of course it is vying for many of the technical categories, including its exceptional cinematography and visual effects (you will never forget that bear attack!!)
Don't be surprised for a big sweep in the big categories as well. Inarritu is looking to become the first director since 1950 when the legendary Joseph L. Mankiewicz ("A Letter to Three Wives" and "All About Eve") won back-to-back Best Director Oscars. Inarritu won last year for "Birdman", and he has a great chance for a repeat here.
The nearly sure bet, though, is that this will finally be Leonardo DiCaprio's year for his first win with his now fifth nomination. It is a memorable performance, but probably not his greatest (my personal favorite is "The Wolf of Wall Street"). But no actor alive is probably more deserving of an Academy Award.
The biggest surprise, however, is Tom Hardy, with a truly magnificent, career-defining turn as a most despicable character. This could have easily been classified in the leading actor category, but he's up for Best Supporting Actor. And it will probably be a two-man race between Hardy and Sylvester Stallone as the sentimental favorite for "Creed".
Yes, "The Revenant" is amazing. But it's not for everyone. Who won't like it? Well, it is extremely violent, graphic, bloody and gross. Definitely, the folks at PETA cannot be happy. I can't say I've ever seen so many different types of animals meet such horrific ends in a motion picture. If it has four legs in this movie, it's not safe.
Other than that, wow! Just wow! Sit back and feast on an epic spectacle that you will remember for years to come!
o Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of " Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
