Best of 2015

Rating: 8/10 (22 January 2016)

Declaring a movie the best of the year is not going to make you many friends. This act is a little pretentious, only serving to isolate most listeners. But 2015 was a disappointing year. The marquee names (Spielberg, Tarantino, Russell?) failed to deliver movies with any chances of reaching the top half of each director's filmography. The awards bait was lukewarm, our dear indie and international friends largely failed to make any ripples in the pond. I concede we got the best summer movie of recent memory, but I just need something more to care about. The Revenant is the best movie of the year because it is ambitious and beautiful. A dangerous film, with many potential vulnerabilities that were solved by its reliance on exemplary talent. I am simply giddy that 2015 delivered a film this great.
The Revenant is a western/thriller meditation on vengeance and survival. Frontiersman Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) is betrayed and abandoned by comrade (Hardy) who murdered his son (Forrest Goodluck, not that you likely care, but what a name). The next two thirds is Glass' relentless pursuit. Sure, obviously other events happen along the journey, but largely it is a straight foreword plot with simple motivations. Some complexity is introduced by side Native American characters who are also dealing with tragedy. But at its core, Revenant is sparse. This emptiness allows for creative space to be filled with stylistic bravado. The Revenant is continually interrupted by unrushed shots of natural magnificence. This style can best be described as more watchable Malick. I am sure most popular criticism will be aimed at this decision. Sure it's a reasonably long run time, but I was certainly not bored. Thrillers are all about manipulating the temporal. Each break is a conflicted dose of both relaxation and stress. Relaxation derived from simple gorgeousness, stress because it is a distraction from imminent peril.
Style over substance films are extremely risky. Potentially irritably ostentatious, these movie can needle or put an audience to sleep with ease. Enter our artists/champions. No one can perfectly answer what a director brings to a movie, but Inarritu has established himself as a titan. The Revenant is a grand vision that requires virtually every aspect to be synchronized. I credit Inarritu. Slightly more tangible are Lubezki's contributions. The cinematographer made brutal action scenes and calm portrayals of trees equally stunning to behold. DiCaprio's role in this is almost impossible. He was asked to carry an entire movie largely without talking. Not to mention wrestle a CGI bear. He was up to the task, there is not an off note in his performance. Hardy is even more likable. His role is less demanding, but he is equally brilliant. Hardy plays pure evil unabashed with an impeccable drawl. If we just skipped the Oscars this year and threw them all at The Revenant's creators, I would not be overly disappointed.
Praise be to The Revenant. I refuse to even acknowledge the many I know who will simply find this movie frustrating. I am excited, and hopefully contagious. Movies of this caliber simply need to be celebrated.