Best movie I saw all year

Rating: 10/10 (10 August 2016)

"Best movie I saw all year" is not something I say lightly. The Revenant is not only an unforgettable movie with top notch acting and cinematography, it is a filmmaking triumph. Going into the theatre I had seen no trailers, clips or much advertising at all. However, I was astounded by the movie I saw. Alejandro G. Iñárritu's has crafted a supremely brutal and harsh movie with outstanding realism as it portrays a vivid tale of human endurance and revenge. Iñárritu takes complete control of the movie with outstanding directing that was not matched by anyone in 2015. He rightfully won the Oscar, Bafta, Golden Globe and every other award for directing. He carries the movie with such commendable intensity and confidence that a movie like this needs. He successfully builds up the tension throughout the movie, from the brutal beginning scene to the amazing climax. It is hard to imagine anyone else doing such a good job at directing this movie - and perhaps that is because no one else could.
However Iñárritu is not the only great filmmaker here. The films cinematography is especially good. Three-time Oscar winning Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography is sensationally vivid and realistic - nothing short of masterful. The makeup, costume design and visual effects are also strong, but it is the acting that really shines. Leonardo DiCaprio (finally) snagged an Oscar for his outstanding turn as Hugh Glass; a performance that was not even closely matched this year. It is by far his most difficult role yet, and at the same time, perhaps his best. Glass' quest for revenge is edge-of-your-seat stuff - a relentless quest that leaves the audience in awe. Tom Hardy also was nominated for Best Actor here, but for some outrageous reason was beaten by Mark Rylance. Given his performance and difficult character in this movie, that seems preposterous when you begin to contemplate it. He successfully plays one of the most authentically evil villains in recent history - a character with no signs of either empathy or morals. Not an easy role to play, but perhaps that's why they chose Tom Hardy for the job.
The whole cast is at the top of their game, with the supporting cast of Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter and Forrest Goodluck all giving surprisingly good performances. All the characters are original and particularly realistic, which helps to make this an especially relentless and authentic movie. The Revenant is as thrilling and brutal and as a sheet of sharp ice held to the skin, but by gosh, it's entertaining.