Review of The Revenant (2015) by Jingerjake — 22 Feb 2016

DiCaprio warrents himself another Oscar nomination, but I have to admit he doesn't deserve the win. Though his talent is undeniable he's simply got too little to work with here. Despite being the main attraction, his dialogue is so far apart and and between so much action that he's given little opportunity to win our hearts. Even when these opportunities do present themselves the writing is unfortunately much thinner than what you'd expect from a role played by the best actor of the year. For these unfortunate reasons we shall all prepare ourselves for yet another March full of "Leo has no statue" memes. Perhaps one in which the Oscar is mauling him instead of a bear. Hardy however, is outstanding, making the best of every scene and warranting himself a nomination of his own, though it's doubtful he'll get it. Even Poulter does nobly in what must have been a daunting list of co-stars. The only role I found distasteful is that of my fellow ginger's. Though Gleeson made my list of those to watch after Ex Machina, this performance makes it two in-a-row that I've felt he was miscast and for largely the same reasons (the other being Star Wars). Gleeson seems to be stepping into roles suited better for men twice his age. Though he looked the part here much better than in space, he still lacks the authority to create a conviction from within a leader.

If you didn't catch the hints in the trailer, this film is not for the faint of heart. It's absolutely brutal. In the end, we've seen a lot of things, most not short of sheer beauty, and for what? A simple payback story riddled with unmoving flashbacks of a loss we're led to care little about. Unfortunately, for all the incredible visuals and one hell of a survival picture, we're left with undeveloped characters and back stories that left too little off the table to have truly connected with the plot. It's an absolute tragedy to have come all this way and feel next to nothing inside.

However, from start to finish the screen is never void of absolute beauty. On every technical aspect the Revenant is a true masterpiece. The score is solid, the direction is Oscar worthy, the setting is gorgeous, and the cinematography is breathtaking. Many scenes are so beautiful they make it worth the watch despite everything I've said negatively thus far. Honestly, if for nothing else, this film is worth the watch just to see a bear attack that is one of the best cinematic experiences I've had in front of a big screen in my entire life. The technical feat can't override the lack of character development and paper thin plot, but despite all it lacks, it lacks not one single shot that isn't completely and indisputably beautiful.