‘The Revenant’ Theatrical Review

Alejandro González Iñárritu has learned to master suspense. Much as Alfred Hitchcock did in his non-horror films, Iñárritu’s ability to lay out a scene and use incredible cinematography has created moment after moment of increasing intensity and a lingering curiosity of what will happen next. As he did with Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Iñárritu has used some of the same formulas in The Revenant, although it was completely different material. In fact, it was so different that Iñárritu himself said he would never do anything like it again, and as good as a movie as The Revenant is, one sit through of the entire flick and you can get a better understanding as to why.

With a mysterious past but a strong knowledge of the land, Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is asked to lead a fur-trapping expedition through the mountains. His job is to keep the men safe from the Natives and the French, as well as help them find their way. Afterward, an attack occurs on their temporary settlement due to the Pawnee searching for their Chief’s daughter. This outburst of violence creates increased tension and dwindles the team’s numbers dramatically. After they abandon their furs they try to find their way back home, and Glass takes a huge risk that doesn’t pay off.

With Glass clinging to life, it’s up to Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) and Jim Bridger (Will Poulter) to stay back and protect him while the others carry on. The thing is, Fitzgerald wants nothing to do with Glass or the mountains anymore and leaves the man for dead. After a tough road to recovery, and many other trials along the way, Glass finds himself back with Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson) as the two hunt down Fitzgerald in an attempt for revenge.

It’s been some time since we’ve seen a movie like The Revenant, you can definitely give it that.

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Hands down, The Revenant is a tough film to digest, and Iñárritu’s words of never doing this again are understandable. There’s plenty of violence, gore, and despair; it’s the type of movie that may not have a modernly defined “happy ending” waiting for you after a lengthy series of gut-wrenching moments.

DiCaprio’s character handles attacks from animals, people, and mother nature herself as he battles through for revenge. He does so amazingly. There’re moments where he can’t really speak, and the delivery of emotion is tremendous. New trailers for the film are declaring this his “performance of a lifetime,” and it’s hard to argue that after the initial viewing. As incredible as Hardy is in the film, it might be time for DiCaprio to be acknowledged as an award contender over all others.

But for those two to deliver award-worthy performances is nothing new and nothing unexpected. Hardy continues his chameleon-like skills and becomes a character unlike any he’s played before. As the conflict between these two characters drive the movie, the surprises come with the rest of the cast performing at the same level. The young Will Poulter gets the highest amount of screen time compared to these two, and it is well deserved; Poulter’s character must wrestle with some tough decisions and life-changing events, and he does so in a way that each moment remains believable.

The Revenant sets a high bar with its stars, and the supporting cast is surprisingly up to the task to match them. This is a testament to Iñárritu’s abilities behind the camera but also a verification that the cast and crew invested heavily into the materials and sacrificed more than they typically do.

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But as great as the acting was, and as much as I recognize The Revenant as something to consider in the upcoming award shows, the movie was not perfect and not even as favorable in my eyes to some of Iñárritu’s earlier works. The directing was stunning, but it felt that the intention was to make this a long drawn-out experience no matter the cost. As much as that was true in the literal terms (both the budget and time filming went way over), it’s true in the sense of the final experience.

The Revenant is a story that could have been told in about ninety minutes, and it could have been done without losing any emotion, important plot point or scene, or jaw dropping moments from the actors. There were numerous moments of flat open time, clearly meant to bring the audience into the experience of these characters, but it led to some time to not only question moments in the movie but also to ponder a few quandaries in my own life, like is the stove still on or did I forget to pay the bills?

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) won Best Picture at the Oscars last year–an outcome still questioned by some–but I can say that, as strong as the acting is in The Revenant, this film would generate even more questions with a best picture win. It’s a strong movie with the capability of being nominated, but it is not the best movie of the year or even the best movie in Iñárritu’s arsenal. The Revenant deserves to be seen, and forming your own opinion is always wise. However, as suspenseful and well acted as it was, the fact that the same story could have easily been told in half the time keeps this from being amazing.

Those drawn out moments may get ignored by the voters, but I wouldn’t be surprise if some of these minor imperfections keep Iñárritu from directing back-to-back Best Pictures.

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