“As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight. You breathe… keep breathing.”
I’m a big fan of Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, and will see pretty much anything either is in. I may not think Birdman was necessarily the best movie of 2014, but I liked it and generally dig what director Alejandro Gonzalez Innuritu does. And the stories around the making of his latest movie are nothing short of incredible. But it’s those stories that made me a tad reluctant to see it. I’m always wary of a movie where the most interesting thing about it seems to be its intense, or harrowed, or insane shooting process. Shouldn’t the finished product be the thing that gets people talking? Well, The Revenant did go through an intense, harrowing and insane shooting process, but the good news is, the end product is good enough to outshine that stuff and more than stand in its own.
After six long months in the snowy wilderness, a group of fur trackers a readying their haul and thinking about what they’ll all do with their share of the profits. But a raid by some Native Americans sees their furs stolen and over 30 of their party killed. The dozen or so who survive only do so thanks to the quick thinking and local knowledge of their guide, Hugh Glass (DiCaprio). But not everyone is thankful for, or believes in, his expertise. Fellow trapper John Fitzgerald (Hardy) second guesses most of Glass’ decisions and is always looking for the quickest way home, rather than the safest or smartest. (more…)