The Revenant (2015) film review

Year: 2015
Running Time: 157 minutes
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Writers: Michael Punke (based in part on the novel by), Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Mark L. Smith (screenplay)
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Paul Anderson, Forrest Goodluck, Luke Haas, Grace Dove

The Revenant opens in Australian cinemas on January 7 2016 and is distributed by 20th Century Fox. Released in the United States January 8 and the United Kingdom January 15.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's The Revenant is the perfect hybrid of exquisite beauty and graphic brutality in it's story of human survival in the unforgiving wilderness which is enhanced by it's superb performances by it's stellar cast.

Inspired by true events and based in part on the book of the same name by Michael Punke, The Revenant is a tale of revenge set in the 1820's uncharted American wilderness. While on expedition, Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is terribly mauled by a protective mother bear and left for dead by fellow members of his hunting team, especially John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). Glass defies all odds and fights against the forces of nature to seek vengeance on the man who took the life of his son and attempted to take his own,.

The Revenant is an exceptionally rare cinematic experience with it's powerful ability to move and devastate with both it's extreme brutality and breathtaking beauty. The film has been much talked about for it's graphic depictions of Hugh Glass' survival methods in the wilderness and the intense mauling sequence, and it is true that a strong stomach is required as well as a sense of preparation for these scenes. However, it is not violence and gore for no reason. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu does not hold back when it comes to showing the harsh reality of surviving in a world where man is not supposed to strive. Survival in the wild is not always clean nor pretty and this reality hits home in The Revenant and Inarritu must be commended for his commitment to realism in this film. The commitment to this realism of everyone involved in the film is incredible as the entire film was shot on location in the harsh winter conditions that are so unforgiving in the film.

Yet in all the harshness and intensity which the beast of nature brings, the exquisite cinematography brings out the exceptional beauty of the world in which The Revenant exists. The wilderness is captured in all it's natural beauty on camera and strikes awe into the heart of the viewer as they experience all the aesthetics of the land where Glass makes his way. The choice of camera shots and editing throughout the film bring out the most in some incredible visuals such as lingering shots of the moon in the night sky and panoramic shots of the dense woodlands. The final shot of the film is one of the most moving in recent memory with the way it cuts through to your soul. The musical score by Bryce Dessner, Carsten Nicolai and Ryuichi Sakamoto is also wonderful.

Leonardo DiCaprio has had more than one role tagged as the best of his career over the years, but if this isn't his career best performance it is certainly his most physically demanding. While both DiCaprio and Inarritu have expressed that The Revenant is the most diffiult film that they have ever had to make, it is clear as crystal that this is the case when watching DiCaprio's performance that he has gone to tremendous measures to recreate the legend of Hugh Glass with as much accuracy and believability as possible. Although there is a lack father and son chemistry between himself and Forrest Goodluck (who plays the older Hawk), there is still a great deal of emotion felt by DiCaprio for his son, particularly when he himself is close to death and he has to watch injustice being done to his son. Hugh Glass is an extremely difficult role to play and DiCaprio carries the burden of the character to perfection.

Although DiCaprio is certainly the main player of the film, he has a extremely strong backbone of support in his fellow cast members. Tom Hardy is an absolute force as John Fitzgerald and is a character who one feels an instant dislike to, but also a sense of intrigue as to how far he can be pushed and what he will do when pushed that far. Domhnall Gleeson is also a stand out with a particularly strong performance as the expedition's captain, Andrew Henry. His performance becomes all the more interesting as the film progresses and his final scenes are absolutely outstanding.

The Revenant is a visual masterpiece that reminds one of the allure and danger of the unforgiving wilderness with it's realistic mode of storytelling and incredible cinematography. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu directs Leonardo DiCaprio to what will surely be remembered as his greatest on screen accomplishment and one of the reasons The Revenant will not easily be dismissed from one's memory.

9/10

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Year: 2013
Running Time: 179 minutes
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Jordan Belfort (book), Terence Winter (screenplay)
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Kyle Chandler, Matthew McConaughey, Jean Dujardin, Rob Reiner, Jon Favreau, Jon Bernthal, Joanna Lumley

The Wolf of Wall Street will be released in Australia on the 23rd January 2014 and is distributed by Roadshow Films. Now showing in the USA and UK.

The Wolf of Wall Street could not have avoided being highly anticipated. Let's face it, the majority of films being released at this time of the year usually have huge expectations on them. However, when you put the names Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese in the same sentence, you expect something pretty special. Yet, you also worry that these two pairing up for another critically acclaimed film may be too good to be true.

Well this is the news. The Wolf of Wall Street is another amazing piece of work by the dynamic duo. The story of the "Wolf" is intriguing and entertaining and keeps the viewer's undivided attention for the entirety of the film. The film is unexpectedly hilarious and pleasingly shocking at the same time, while also making you contemplate the ethics of the actions of Jordan Belfort. Leonardo DiCaprio is a force to be reckoned with in his fifth partnering with the great Martin Scorsese and the combination of these two proves once again to be a winner.

The Wolf of Wall Street is based on the novel of the same name and tells the rise and fall of stockbroker, Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio). From his beginnings as a naïve but determined rookie of Wall Street, to his fall as a result of his illegal and unethical activities at his firm, Stratton Oakmont Inc., Belfort doesn't lead a boring life in any way shape or form. He enjoys the perks of the high life including the luxury apartments, Long Island property, unlimited girls and a ridiculous amount of drugs. His addictive lifestyle is extremely hard to give up, but the FBI is always watching him and one wrong step and he will have no choice but to give up his lifestyle and everything that goes with it.

Jordan Belfort's story is not one of a hero. At one point in time he was idolised by so many, but he is ultimately the villain of his own story. His actions and treatment of people are not desirable and it does absolutely make you look at the stockbrokers in the big city in a different way, regardless of whether they are like Belfort and his team or not. It's not likely that most of the things that went on in his office still occur, such as using prostitutes and strippers as a reward for good work actually in the workspace in work hours. Yet the film does make you stop and think about the ethics of someone such as Belfort and for the large majority of the film, he is not a very likable specimen.

However, this works in a big way. Belfort may not be likable and his practises not ethical, but his story is absolutely enthralling. You may not like him or what he does, but you love watching him. The whole film is incredibly entertaining and even if you do not condone his bad boy ways and his lifestyle, you can't look away. Scorsese has brought Belfort's story to the big screen in spectacular fashion. The Wolf of Wall Street completely captures the extravagance of his story and you feel as though you could be having as much fun watching the story as Belfort was living it. As a viewer you feel the thrill the stockbroker would have been experiencing living on the edge.

The screenplay, written by Terence Winter is also spectacular. It is a pleasant surprise and brilliant how hilarious it actually is, especially the scene where Belfort is at the Country Club. It is a brilliant thing to be able to take a true story and make it a lot more funny than what it would have been in real life. The one factor that may deter many people away from The Wolf of Wall Street is that it is a minute short of three hours. As much of a thrill as it is, it does feel like it is this long. Obviously there was a lot to get through and the three hours does seem acceptable for how much Scorsese had to cover. It is also quite obvious that what we are seeing is the shorter version of all the footage that would have been taken. There are various features of the film which are skimmed across at lightning speed and some things which can be seen as a bit confusing (particularly at the end) because they are not explained thoroughly.

The soundtrack for the film is extremely fitting and actually quite enjoyable itself. The cinematography has some very Scorsese-esque moments, but this is in no way a bad thing. Every shot is interesting and though there are some full frontal and confronting shots, the photography is perfect for every scene. The film and it's costume design, location and interior design is very reminiscent of the time period every scene is set in.

Leonardo DiCaprio has had many outstanding performances throughout his career, but this is one of his best to date. DiCaprio's Belfort is intense, proud, unpredictable and just a bit of an egomaniac, and he is absolutely fantastic to watch. He truly becomes his character and displays every facet of his personality. Even though the film is three hours long, you wish you could just on watching him because he is such a joy to watch. The scenes of him giving speeches in his office are just brilliant.

Jonah Hill is great as Belfort's best friend and wing man, Donnie. Margot Robbie, who plays Belfort's wife Naomi is an absolute starlet in this film and so convincing. Her American accent is brilliant and unless you knew better, there is no way you would ever guess that she was actually Australian. One thing this film is missing is enough Matthew McConaughey. He plays the role of Belfort's mentor when he first arrives on Wall Street of Mark Hanna and is so charismatic and hilarious. He is only in the film for a short time, but absolutely memorable regardless of how long he spends on screen.

The Wolf of Wall Street is an absolute pleasure to watch and for some may be the true definition of a guilty pleasure, because you know you shouldn't enjoy watching bad behaviour so much.

9/10

The Great Gatsby (2013)

Year: 2013
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher
Now showing in cinemas everywhere


There is one simple way to determine if you are a fan of The Great Gatsby. It's by whether you are a Baz Luhrmann fan or if you are not.

The Great Gatsby is Baz Luhrmann's most ambitious and extravagant film yet. Luhrmann has an unmistakable style to his films and if you are not a fan of his past films, in particular Moulin Rouge!, there is little chance that you will enjoy The Great Gatsby. On the other hand, if you are a Baz fan, then you will think that this film is one of the events of the year. That being said, for it to really have been one of the events of the year, The Great Gatsby would have to have broken down the barrier between the two and that's something it failed to do.

Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, The Great Gatsby is told from the viewpoint of young bond worker, Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) who moves to New York and into a cottage on Long Island. He quickly becomes enchanted by the extravagant lifestyle of his cousin, Daisy (Carey Mulligan) and her husband, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). When Nick finally meets his enigmatic neighbour, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), he finds that below the surface nothing is as it seems.

Luhrmann's version of The Great Gatsby is extremely over the top. That has always been his style, but this film seeks to overemphasise parts of the story which don't need to be as they already create an impact naturally. The moment when Gatsby is introduced into the film is so over the top. DiCaprio doesn't need fireworks placed around him for his entrance into the film. That's enough to provoke a sea of eye rolls.

Even though it is extremely over the top and there is a lot of the film that visually seems unnecessary, you can't deny it is also visually stunning. The party scenes are incredible as are the recreations of 1920's New York City. All of the costumes for the players are also incredible, Carey Mulligan never looks less than a million dollars.

Luhrmann also is very good at employing the best choreography for the party and club scenes. It almost makes you want to learn the Charleston. It can be a little too neat at times when it is employed for butlers opening and closing doors in time with each other at the Buchanan's house, again unnecessary. The musical score is also very good. It is a risk to mix modern music with a historical picture, but it does The Great Gatsby justice.

One thing that everyone will agree on is that through the exaggeration and the extravagance, Luhrmann does make sure that the film stays true to Fitzgerald's novel the whole way. He may let the cinematography run away with itself, but the story stays on it's path.

There could not have been a better person to play Gatsby than Leonardo DiCaprio. He is everything Gatsby should be and is consistently good. His most wonderful scene is when his Gatsby catches sight of Daisy for the first time in years and you can see all his love and pain in his expression in such a pure way. Carey Mulligan is also a very good Daisy Buchanan. It is wonderful to finally see her smile in a movie again.

Tobey Maguire is good as Nick Carraway, but is overshadowed by his fellow players in many of his scenes. His best comes at the end of the film. Joel Edgerton is also brilliant as Tom Buchanan, and also quite intimidating.

The Great Gatsby is not going to be for everyone. It will be for those who crave visual extravagance and love experiencing how the other half live.

7/10


You may have also seen Leonardo DiCaprio in.....
Inception as Cobb
Django Unchained as Calvin Candie

You may have also seen Carey Mulligan in.....
An Education as Jenny
Drive as Irene

You may have also seen Joel Edgerton in.....
The Waiting City as Ben Simmons

Django Unchained

Year: 2012

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington

Before I begin my review….

Tarantino.

Where do you go from that name? His directorial style is one of the most recognisable in this day and age. He is one of a kind. He is able to do things in his movies that if other people attempted to do, they would be criticised till the cows come home. Yet, when Quentin Tarantino does it, it is considered genius.

Tarantino’s last two films, Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained have taken him in a new direction with his film making. He does historical films in such a unique way. He doesn’t neglect what makes his film making style recognisable and remembers that making a film is about entertaining as well as informing. Both of the mentioned films are quirky in the Tarantino way, but quirky when you are Tarantino means brilliant.

Honestly, this is one film I would love to see win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.  I think it has everything it takes to win. So it aches to say that I don’t think it is the winner, even though I would love it to be. It may just still be a little too extreme to win. However, it definitely is one of the best films of the year and there are no complaints about it being one of the nine films nominated.

This being said, I think it is a certainty to win Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly For Screen. Yes, Tarantino did win this award at the Golden Globes so chances are good for him, but it is an amazing script. Brilliantly written and a verbal dream.

Another name which is right up there is an Oscar contender is Christoph Waltz for Best Supporting Actor.  His main competition it would seem is Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln, but as Lincoln has yet to be released in Australia, I can’t make an informed decision as of yet. I will say that Waltz’s performance in Django Unchained is Oscar worthy. We’ve seen Waltz play the bad guy on a few occasions now, but here he shows his versatility playing the good guy and does so with so much character and charisma that when you leave the cinema, you feel like you want to go and visit him to spend more time with that character.

26 days till the 85^th Academy Awards, five more Best Picture nominees to review.

Review

American history gets the Quentin Tarantino treatment in Django Unchained and for that we are thankful.

Django Unchained is thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable. It has heroes to root for and villains to hate, a gripping story and killer script. Like any other Tarantino film, nothing is done with subtlety. Yet, like other Tarantino films, this lack of subtlety is what makes his films so entertaining and the art of film is not lost on his visual extremes.

The year is 1858 and slave, Django (Jamie Foxx)is about to become a free man. German bounty hunter, Dr King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) takes Django under his wing to help him find a set of wanted men, but then seeing promise in him makes him his partner for the winter. As a condition, Dr Schultz will help Django find and free his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington). Before Django and Broomhilda can be together, they have some life-threatening hurdles they must face all in the form of plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).

The Tarantino technique of film making makes viewing a historical film unlike any other film in the same category. The way he combines, in this case, brilliant dialogue by colourful characters with amazing cinematography, crazy images and a unique musical score is an absolute winner.

It is not often you watch a historical film that has music which is associated with the present time accompanying it and it actually works for it. Images of slaves heading towards a plantation with rap music playing in the background is something you know isn’t right, but it seems perfect.

The script is just brilliant. The dialogue used throughout the film is perfect for each of the characters and very interesting to listen to. There are some very funny lines in the film, and one scene in particular involving cutting holes in sheets is hilarious.

The characters created by Tarantino, who also wrote Django Unchained as well as directed, are just fantastic. All the main characters have a background and their development is fantastic. You love the good guys and hate the bad guys. The good guys become your friends and the bad guys your evil enemies.

Jamie Foxx is very good as lead, Django (the “D” is silent). He is the perfect example of wonderful character development. He starts off at the bottom of the food chain and you see him change and become arrogant, and then changes again to ensure survival. Django becomes like a rock star who deserves applause and cheering.

However, Christoph Waltz is in a class of his own here. Even though he is being categorised as being in a supporting role, he outshines Foxx in every scene he is in. He has so much charisma and is such an interesting character. Dr Schultz was written so well by Tarantino and brought to life by Waltz in spectacular fashion. This is one director/actor team that can do no wrong, considering this is the second time Tarantino has directed Waltz and could well be the second Oscar win form this partnership.

Django Unchained is the first film in which Leonardo DiCaprio has taken on a villainous character and proved that…yes….this man can do anything. He is terrifying. There is nothing better than when a character is terrifying without needing a scary physical appearance to add to this perception.

Samuel L. Jackson is one that tends to flourish under Tarantino’s light as well. Here he is another great character. Playing Candie’s butler, Stephen, he has hints of being a good guy, but is ultimately evil. He is quite evil, but also provides a few giggles.

Don’t be fooled, this is Tarantino film so there is violence. If you didn’t his earlier films because of the violence and language, don’t think that he has changed this. There is lots of blood spilt and F-bombs dropped, but they aren’t the centrepiece of the film and there is a great movie around it.

Django Unchained is Tarantino’s best film to date (which is no light comment). A quirky film in which everything is exaggerated, but done in the most brilliant way possible.

9.5/10