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'The Revenant' to me is one of 2015's best films and deserved its hype, its critical acclaim justified. It is easy to understand why the audience reaction is more divided, but to me the low ratings are too harsh. The visuals, direction and acting are so brilliant that even if the film didn't impress me it still would have gotten no lower than a 4 or 5.
Its best assets are the visuals and direction. Simply put, 'The Revenant' is one of the best-looking films of the year and a thing of sheer beauty. The settings are rich in atmosphere and the lighting remarkably natural, but it's the cinematography that shines brightest, it's both intimate and immersive. Iñárritu's direction is even better than in his outstanding direction in 'Birdman', some of the best direction of the year.
Acting is marvellous, everybody showing great commitment. Leonardo Di Caprio got his only Oscar for his performance here and it was more than well deserved in one of his best films and performances, a performance of emotional intensity and honesty that is most agonisingly poignant. Tom Hardy excels in bringing brooding menace to his role, and Will Poulter is impressive too.
'The Revenant' has much more to it than those things. The action is brutally tense and the story, while deliberately paced and very simple, immerses the viewer in how gripping it is, being intense and emotional. The characters are strongly realised.
Film fares least in the script which is not bad at all but occasionally a little garbled. This is such a minor criticism however and not enough to bring down my rating.
In conclusion, brilliant film. 10/10 Bethany Cox
