The Sunday Mail
IT has been said that analysing a movie is like marking a composition; there is no right or wrong answer and all one has to consider are just opinions which should be supported by facts.
Given the race débâcle that marred last month’s Oscars, is pretty sad that we have to separate the good from the bad movies now — the Rotten Tomatoes website.
Yes, that is how bad things have got.
For those not in the know, Rotten Tomatoes is a website strictly devoted to monitoring movie reviews, both print and now television, grading them on a scale of one to hundred based on positive and negative responses from critics around the world.
It is extremely hard to find a movie that is universally liked; but when it does come along, man, is it a thing of beauty.
Take Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar winning “Revenant”, for example; all anyone will ever remember about the film is that it is the one that finally won him the coveted award.
By definition, Revenant is a visible ghost that returns from the grave to haunt the living and this is exactly what DiCaprio’s Hugh Glass turns out to be for chief antagonist John Fitzgerald played by the ever masterful Tom Hardy.
In 1823, a crew of military men get ambushed, while hunting through the sacred Indian lands, by a bunch of natives who are under the misguided notion that they kidnapped a revered chief’s daughter.
After barely escaping with their lives, they flee under the guidance of renowned tracker Glass (DiCaprio). Unfortunately, as soon as they escape Glass is attacked and mauled by a bear.
Glass, who had taken a liking to the natives and adopted one of their own Hawk (Forest Goodluck), catches the ire of one of his brothers Fitzgerald who has a certain disdain for all natives. With the crew unable to carry Glass and stay ahead of the natives tracking them, they decide to leave under the care of Fitzgerald and another brother Jim Bridger (Will Poulter) with the hope of returning with re-enforcements.
Fitzgerald then decides to kill Hawk and leave Glass for dead.
What then follows is a story of the shear will to live and seek revenge as Glass, who at this point in time had been buried alive, crawls out of his grave and begins his hunt of Fitzgerald.
What makes this movie tick is not only DiCaprio’s masterful performance, although it contributes a lot, but a combination of factors. Firstly, there is a talented crew of servicemen both in front and behind the camera. When you have a guy of fame, talent and accolades of Alejandro González Iñárritu, a hit is the only guarantee you have.
Arguably one of the greatest Mexican finds of the last couple of decades, award-wise, Iñárritu brought his many accolades, Oscars included, to the director, writer and producer’s chair in this movie. True to form, the script and dialogue are solid, imagery impeccable and his choice in cast second to none.
In front of the camera, you have the likes of DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhall Glesson and Poulter all giving masterful performances. With all that, how can one go wrong? The only down part about the film is the poor CGI bear that mauls Glass, but thankfully DiCaprio comes to the rescue and milks the scene for all its worth. I think it is important that everyone knows that this was by no means Di Caprio’s best performance, heck his dialogue is limited for like a quarter of the film, but it is his commitment to the role that had everyone singing his praises.
DiCaprio goes full method into his portrayal of Hugh Glass and the fact that the film runs for 155 minutes gives us ample time to marvel at DiCaprio depiction of emotion that range from happiness, pain, anger and finally reconciliation.
He is supported by the likes of Hardy, whose talents hardly need mention, and Gleeson some might remember from the Harry Porter franchise as John Weasely. Gleeson is the embodiment of authority as the straight laced leader of the pact Captain Andrew Henry, while Hardy matches DiCaprio scene for scene, line for line.
Had the roles been reversed between DiCaprio and Hardy, I have no doubt that it would not have taken anything away from this masterful movie. Special mention must, however, go to a young Poulter who, to quote Robert Downey Jnr’s Kirk Lazarus in Tropic Thunder, goes “full retard” in his portrayal of the innocent and naïve Jim Bridger.
While he might have done some solid stuff in his short career, no one does “full retard” like Poulter and as a case study I advise all concerned to give 2013’s “We are the Millers” a quick watch.
All in all, DiCaprio’s Best Supporting Actor Oscar was truly deserved, but he owes his co-stars a huge gratitude for making him look better. As of last weekend, “Revenant” had grossed approximately US$433 million worldwide, having worked on a budget of US$135 million.
