Leonardo DiCaprio is unarguably one of the biggest movie stars of the past 18 years. This cannot be debated. After "The Titanic" debuted in 1997, the demand for Leo's talent skyrocketed, and he hasn't looked back since, constantly finding himself in big roles in Hollywood's biggest features.
You'd think after all of his success he'd surely have an Oscar, right? Wrong. Leo has never won an Oscar — a fact that has caused an extreme amount of controversy among movie-goers and critics alike. After not winning the award for Best Actor for his work on "The Aviator," many thought it was likely DiCaprio would never receive an Oscar at all.
Since "The Aviator," Leo's been nominated for The Academy Award for Best Actor twice more; once for "Blood Diamond" and once for "The Wolf of Wall Street." DiCaprio lost to Forest Whitaker in 2007, and Matthew McConaughey in 2014.
The loss in 2014 to McConaughey is hard to understand. While "Dallas Buyers Club" is a fantastic film, McConaughey's win over Leo's work in "The Wolf of Wall Street" is questionable at best.
This year, DiCaprio is starring in Alejandro G. Iñárritu's "The Revenant." Who is Alejandro G. Iñárritu? He directed a little film entitled "Birdman." Unless you've been living under a rock, you've likely heard the massive amount of critical acclaim "Birdman" received. It is a masterpiece, and it had huge success at The Oscars in 2014 — pulling in four Academy Awards.
Iñárritu is hot right now. His sequential, natural style of shooting isn't just gorgeous; it serves plot and drives narrative in a way not commonly found in big Hollywood releases. While it may be hell to shoot (rumors off his sets aren't always positive), it pays off big time. Iñárritu's pairing with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy in a supporting roll almost spells "Oscar."
So what is "The Revenant?"
"The Revenant" is a film adaption of Michael Punke's novel — "The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge." Based on true historical events, it details the journey of Hugh Glass, an outdoorsman in Wyoming, and his crew. After being attacked by a bear on an expedition, Glass' companions take his belongings and leave him to die. Unfortunately for them, he doesn't.
After surviving some brutal injuries, Hugh Glass goes on an epic quest for revenge against those who had wronged him. It's a hell of a read if you're looking to expand your book library. I cant say much more without getting into spoilery territory, so pick up the book if you're so-inclined.
In the meantime, you can watch the official trailer for "The Revenant" here, and if you want a little taste of Iñárritu's work, check out "Birdman" on HBO or Blu-ray.