I am beginning to go for a final push to watch most (if not all) Oscar contending movies and today it was Revenant's turn. The movie was already in my to-watch list from last year ever since I heard the name of director Alejandro Iñárritu and cast of Leonardo Di Caprio and Tom Hardy attached. Birdman was an amazingly directed film and those two actors are one of the best in the industry today.
The movie is a simple revenge, well..more of a survival story of an explorer who survives a brutal bear attack and see his son murdered by one of his hunting comrades. What sets the movie apart is once again the direction which was unique in the way it was shot. The director utilizes all natural lighting that enhances the beauty of the wide snow filled landscapes and even in closed sun lit grounds. The cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki) deserves a special mention. The bear attack alone was brutal even for me watching on screen but was not a scene just to show blood but filled with raw emotion . Leonardo does a terrific job in making this character believable (even though it is adapted from a true story). He was helpless, bitten, almost dead, and strong all throughout the film. Tom Hardy is one of my favorite actors of this generation and he did a wonderful job of portraying the twisted antagonist. The story, as I said before, is not filled with deep narrative and its the actors and the visuals that sets apart this movie even with lack of quality dialogues (I can only count about a few in my head and those two were mostly spoken inside of the actor's head). I imagine the director, cinematographer and actors getting some recognition at the Oscars.
Go watch this movie if you like innovative direction. Iñárritu is one of the best.
P.S The movie reminded me a little of this one with Liam Neeson called The Grey. Let me know if you can feel the same.