The Revenant

Oh man, how I have been looking forward to this film or what! So glad I finally got to see The Revenant recently because right now it is my top awards season contender. It was fantastic and deserves every single Oscar nomination it received (12 by the way!).

After being mauled by a bear and left for dead by his own hunting team, Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio), a frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820’s, is forced to fight for survival and find redemption.

A few words to describe The Revenant: raw, intense, amazing, epic, beautiful…the list goes on! Coming off his work on the Oscar winner Birdman, director Alejandro González Iñárritu deserves praise for his excellent direction in the film. The grueling shoot and the work put into this film shows in every single scene. Probably my favorite aspect of the film was the gorgeous cinematography by the ingenious Emmanuel Lubezki (who also won awards for his work on films such as Gravity and Birdman). Chivo outdoes himself in The Revenant, with stunning camera work and the use of only natural lighting throughout the whole film. The result is breathtaking with shots that are as raw as they are delicate.

Let’s be real though. The Revenant is Leonardo DiCaprio. Leonardo DiCaprio is The Revenant. Never before have I seen a performance like that, one that just requires so much commitment from the actor. Needless to say he was absolutely incredible and deserves every single accolade out there. The things he had to do in this movie! It is insane! His character is mostly silent throughout but the power of his performance is loud. Tom Hardy also did a great job in the film so I am glad he finally got the recognition he deserved through his nomination.

A revenant is defined as one who has returned, as if from the dead. Glass’s return is one that truly expresses the power of the human spirit. The backbone of the film is a gripping fight for survival and revenge with the only guidance of sheer will and a love for family. The Revenant is bleak but it is beautiful. The amazing feats of cinema and acting achieved in the film should be appreciated along with the epic true tale of Hugh Glass.

Trailer of the Week: Wolf of Wall Street

Sorry for the huge delay guys! Okay so the first trailer for this next movie came out this last summer in June, but I wasn’t able to do a post soon enough. The Wolf of Wall Street is an upcoming film by Martin Scorsese, featuring another collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio. Based on the true life story of Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio) a wealthy stockbroker and his fall into crime and corruption on Wall Street that led to a massive 1990’s securities fraud case. Also starring Matthew McConaughey and Jonah Hill.

I was actually surprised when I first saw the trailer because it actually looks funny! The cast performances look great and you can’t go wrong with Scorsese. Hopefully some award nominations in the future, always a Leo fan, and good reviews will come towards the movie because it is sure to be a winner! Here is a link for the first trailer to the movie as well (which I actually like better than the second one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iszwuX1AK6A). The Wolf of Wall Street is Rated R and comes out Christmas Day 2013.