‘The Revenant’ is splendid but not satisfying (Oscars 2016 recap, no spoilers)

I continue my Oscars recap with The Revenant, the historical survival drama that FINALLY netted Leonardo DiCaprio his Best Actor Oscar.

I have been a fan of Leo (can I call him Leo?) since What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1983) and he has only gotten better with every role. In this film he plays frontiersman Hugh Glass in 1823, a man who is betrayed, whose son is murdered, is attacked by a bear and left for dead.

For the physical torture alone Leo deserved to get an Oscar. And while he is great as the stoic Glass it does seem like the Academy was also rewarding him for all those times he was supposed to be a bride but ended up a bridesmaid. Tom Hardy is vicious and heartless as the film’s villain and is a pleasure to watch.

The best aspect of The Revenant is the beautiful cinematography. From the in your face fight scenes, including the blood curling bear assault, to bleak landscapes, this film is not eye candy, it is eye caviar. Full props to director Alejandro G. Inarritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki.

While aesthetically pleasing and showcasing sound acting performances this movie left me feeling a bit hollow. I felt the bitter journey of Glass but I didn’t feel for the character. His push for survival and vengeance did nothing for me and at the end I felt unsatisfied, like biting into a plastic fruit.

And though it is based on a true story (some key facts were changed) it is not one I was ever really invested in.

Rating – The Revenant gets 3/4 pounds of raw meat for dinner #yummy4mytummy

So have you seen The Revenant? What did you think of it?

For more Oscar 2016 goodness you can check out my Creed review here and my review of Room here. And for more bleak but beautiful movie reviews subscribe via e-mail or follow me @suprememango012 for updates.

Got your back like a chiropractor. L8rs