An exceptional tale of suffering and survival.

Rating: 8/10 (10 January 2016)

Alejandro González Iñárritu returns to his director's helm after his Oscar winning Birdman. Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, and Domhnall Gleeson play a group of frontiersman on a fur trapping expedition that ends in disaster.
The plot of this film was based on the folk tale of Hugh Glass, a trapper who was left for dead and seeks out those who left him behind. The film itself is loosely based on that story, but DiCaprio does an amazing job portraying him. I could feel the suffering this man went through along his journey, and having been lost in the woods before, I certainly could empathize with the character. The actors are phenomenal and portray their motivations very well. Iñárritu, using what he has learned in previous films, does well in bringing this story to life. I was certainly impressed with his ability to blend his infamous 'Long Take' style in a few action packed scenes, and balance them into the visual story line. But it was the overall storytelling that I enjoyed.
There were a few things I noticed that didn't really add up, but I try to suspend any disbelief in the errors that were made in the plot. I don't want to ruin the film for those who haven't seen it, but there is a hole or two that can't go unnoticed. However the overall story, stark landscapes, and the portrayal of the actors in this film are all phenomenal.
Personally I think people hold Iñárritu to a higher standard of film making because of his previous Oscar wins, and therefore rated it less than Birdman, but I enjoyed this movie so much more.
8/10