Visually Visceral - Decaprio Wheezes & Grunts & Hardy Mumbles an Accent

Rating: 8/10 (22 May 2016)

A relentless Freezing Feeling permeates the proceedings in this Fantasy Tale of Improbable Survival in the Mountainous Regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Snowy with Temperatures nearly Beyond Human Endurance, Wet and Wild in the Wilderness.
A Fur Coat can keep You Warm but if it gets Soaked with extremely Cold Water, well, let's Not Go There. But if You decide to go where this Movie wants, it is going to be a Brutal and Grueling Experience.
Adding to the Chilling Environment is a "Dish Best Served Cold", Revenge. The Director is Literal in this Regard. The Movie Making Crew were Vocal about the Dangers and Risks involved in the Shoot and the Rebellious Nature of Their Complaints have been well Documented.
There was just No Way that the Filmmaking Process was going to be anything but Challenging to say the least. Especially when the Macho Director Insisted on a "Reality" Shoot with No Green Screens. Naturalistic to the Extreme. It was His Vision and it is an Accomplished Visceral Vision that Resulted.
The Cinematography with its Splendorous Spectacle of an Imposing Landscape is also a Great Part of the Movie's Success with the Critics and Some Audiences. It is Not for the Squeamish. It's Bloody Reds Contrast against the White Vista with Repulsive Regularity.
Leonardo Dicaprio's Wheezes and Grunts His way to an Oscar and the Performance was Probably more Respected than Admired. He really doesn't Act much Different from Scene to Scene in this Over-Long Scenario. Tom Hardy as the Villain is also Villainous throughout and Shows Little Range. He also Mumbles as Expected, but with a Different Accent.
Overall, it is a Fine Film and really only Suffers from an Ambiguous Backstory that Pops Up now and then to Add some Heart but is Heavy-Handed with its Dreams and Mystical Backdrop. Not a Great Movie but once again, a Fine Film for its Target Audience that is Decidedly not of the Feminine Persuasion.