Give it 15 minutes ... and it owns you

Rating: 9/10 (22 December 2015)

An extraordinary film on many levels:
1. As pure entertainment, give it a quarter hour and you will be hooked. This is a survival/revenge story so pure, so beautifully filmed, at times it seems more like a National Geographic documentary. I guarantee that when you leave the theatre you will think twice about complaining when you shovel the driveway, or when you are tempted to return food in a restaurant because it is undercooked.
2. As a clinic in how to direct a film, Iñárritu is at the top of his game. When you think back on what you watched --- and you will think back -- you will have to conclude that the director somehow managed to tell the heavens what weather to provide on any given shooting day; and even arranged for a wild bear to attack on cue but leave the actor alive ..... there are scenes in this movie that you literally will never forget. The "horse motel" for one. And the demonstration that the fastest way to get to the bottom of a mountain when you are being chased is simply to jump off the top of it.
3. As a showcase for Hardy, this will become a welcome part of his body of work. I am convinced that Hardy, an actor who acts with his entire body, will be studied and appreciated by audiences of the future. My favorite role of his was Warrior where he practically stole every scene he was in. Child 44 is also worth a watch if you have not seen it.
4. Some IMDb members are hard on DiCaprio and they should not be. He is at the stage of his career where he can take a massively "physical" role like without having to worry about fickle fans not approving of his career choices. It is hard to imagine many other actors that could have pulled this off.
Not really a film. An experience.