Not deep but beautifully crafted

Rating: 9/10 (1 April 2016)

As I anticipated this film had me filled with worry I didn't believe it could live up to the greatness of Birdman, Alejandro G. Iñárritu's previous film. Could the hype of this movie crush it since it's production problems were so publicized? Thankfully The Revenant is one of the best movies of 2015. I was floored by how amazing everything in the film was. It's the one of the most immaculate films to ever be released.
The Revenant stars Leonardo DiCaprio who plays frontiersman Hugh Glass who is left for dead by the crazy Tom Hardy after being mauled by a bear. He goes on a trek to find Hardy and get his revenge. It's no shocker that The Revenant is one of the most beautifully shot films my eyes have witnessed. Everything felt vibrant and pristine from the Woodlands to the Snow that covered the entire frame. Emmanuel Lubezki always brings his A game when it comes to creating beautiful images, even when it's for trash like The Cat in the Hat. This is by far the best work from him I've seen and the man has done Gravity and Birdman! He keeps stepping up and makes every frame a painting.
The story is a gritty revenge tale that holds no punches. I haven't been this tense in a theater since Mad Max Fury Road. It made me perspire at some of the scenes, especially the bear mauling scene. That scene could have been ruined for the fact that the bear was CGI but given that the rest of the film was practical gives the bear realism to it. Iñárritu's direction is flawless in this movie. You feel Leo's struggle and you have his blood lust as he tracks him down. He's the 2nd best actor of 2015 (Sam Jackson is still the best in his amazing role as Marquis Warren in The Hateful Eight, another brutal movie set in the snow.)
While it has all these amazing things there are some minor problems with the movie. There'd be times where a character's mouth wasn't synced up to their lips. You could say that's a nitpick and it kind of is. The rest of the film is a technical marvel that impressed me a lot. I wouldn't be extremely mad if this movie won Best Picture at the Oscars. (I am actually kind of mad because Carol wasn't nominated!)
The Revenant is the most tense film I've seen in 2016. This film won't be for everyone but it's shot so beautifully and told so tensely that I can't recommend it enough. While Leo's performance isn't his best it's definitely a performance of anguish and perseverance.