DiCaprio shines but he owes much to some masterful craftsmen

Rating: 9/10 (15 January 2016)

Before I address the question on everyones mind regarding the Oscar that DiCaprio craves I have to talk about the on form director, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, and his latest masterpiece. Last year he swept up completely with 3 personal nominations and 3 wins for Birdman and rightfully so. This year he is up for another 2 and if he was to win them both he would be only the 2nd person to win back to back Best Picture awards (The first was David O. Selznick in 1939 & '40) and the 3rd to win Best Director back to back (John Ford 1940 & '41 and Joseph L. Mankiewicz 1949 & '50). He would however be the very first to do both... But could it happen!?
Well, firstly I have to say that any film that is able to put you in amongst the action as fluidly and emotionally as is exampled in the opening scene here is fully worthy of a best picture, the best film that I have seen do it was Children of Men in 2006; rather unsurprisingly a film by a friend of Iñárritu Mr Alfonso Cuaron and also the same man in charge of the cameras Emmanuel Lubezki (The second man to win best Cinematography back to back (He could win a 3rd) along side John Toll). Of course, doing it once in the film really isn't good enough but the fact that it is done more or less constantly throughout the film is exceptional in itself. The opening scene I mentioned is a surprise attack by the Indians on our protagonist and his party, which travels like its one take and has you jolting at every bullet and arrow that hits home. A fully deserved nomination for the above mentioned Cinematographer. But the stand out point for me in this scene was how brilliantly the sound accompanied the visuals and thats not the Score, its the sound effects that feel as though they are happening around you. Brilliant! The minimalistic score is used nicely to overpower the end of the scene and carry us into the next one. All of these elements are under the supervision of the director who I will now say has to make all of this seem seamless and he truly does so. With that in mind the Oscar could indeed be his (But i haven't seen all the other nominees yet).
As soon as this scene was over I knew that I was in for a mesmerising experience similar to what I had with Birdman. Not that they are similar. In fact these films are in many ways mirror opposites. Where Birdman was fast, expressive and imaginative, this is patient, quiet and real. The scene that this film will be remembered for is the Grizzly Bear attack and it really is a shocking and very realistic watch as it happens, seemingly, in 1 take and goes on for at least 5 minutes. The fact that you are sat there at this point almost able to feel the pain he is in is something that must be seen to be believed. The story that follows is just about the mother of all revenge stories, as a true western should be, but also a survival film unlike any seen before it.
Tom Hardy, once again playing the villain can proudly take his Oscar nomination to further springboard his already high flying career; Will he win? Maybe! He's had a fantastic year though, starring in 2 films in the best picture category playing the hero in one and the villain in the other shows his brilliance.
Now... Leonardo DiCaprio... Will he win the Oscar this time? I honestly feel, just my opinion, that the argument suggesting that he should have won one by now is unreasonable because he had been up against some very formidable opposition over the years all of which were worthy winners that he simply wasn't able to outshine. The only one I feel he should have won for was Blood Diamond but was beaten by Forest Whitaker in a career defining performance. The same with Jamie Foxx as Ray. His other performances, albeit very good, weren't ground breaking or really in any films that merit the kind of Oscar best picture winners with weighty subject matter. But also he is the grounded actor in the room which allows for actors around him to experiment and test the water because they know Leo is there as the anchor. The other thing is that if he had have won previously would he have changed the kind of films that he makes? its not an unreasonable thought.
However, this time he has a very physical performance that is given a silence and demands a visceral understanding but also he and all the actors are almost always right in the cameras face... I mean that very literally. There are a few times when Leo's heavy breathing causes condensation on the lens and it never spoils the effect. In fact it makes you realise that the camera was literally a few inches away from him whilst he's trying to perform and given that most of us find that terrifying, for him to achieve this level of performance with that kind of distraction deserves every kind of credit that can be bestowed. His main competition this year is Michael Fassbender for Steve Jobs, 2 very different performances and 2 contrasting acting styles but in my honest opinion DiCaprio will not walk away from the Oscars disappointed this year. Its his to win.
As for the film... Its a masterpiece. Excellent and unforgettable.