One of the advantages to working in a movie theater is that you get to watch a lot of movies. As someone that enjoys movies as much as I do, this is an incredible benefit. I am often asked why it is that I enjoy movies so much. I suppose that the main reason is the ability of movies to take us out of our mundane lives for a few hours and transport us to another time and place, everything that a good book can do for us but without the time commitment that often comes with reading. A few weeks ago, I published a list of my favorite movies of 2015, declaring Matt Damon's "The Martian" as the best I had seen last year. Earlier this week, I got to watch what may very well end up being this year's best movie.
I was fortunate enough to watch Leonardo DiCaprio's "The Revenant" on Tuesday and was completely blown away. This is perhaps DiCaprio's best chance that he has had for an Academy Award, which is saying something for a career that has seen four nominations for acting awards in the past. The transformation that DiCaprio performs in this film as he undertakes the role of Hugh Glass is unlike any he has ever made in his career.
Even more impressive than Leo, though, is the transformation of English actor Tom Hardy into country boy John Fitzgerald. It is a true testament to Hardy's abilities that he was able to undertake this role, and it never occurred to the viewer that here was a Brit trying to act like a Southerner. Will Poulter was terrific in his role as Bridger. As I was watching, as I often do while watching films, I kept trying to remember where I had seen Poulter's eyes before. Imagine my surprise when I learned that I had first seen Poulter playing the obnoxious Eustace Scrubb in "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." Exceptional acting aside, it is the men behind the camera that made this movie so incredible.
Riding high after the critical acclaim from "Birdman," director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is quickly establishing himself as one of the best directors in Hollywood. His ability to incorporate the scenery of his films and make it almost an active character is unparalleled in the business. It could be argued that Glass's main protagonist in the film is not Hardy's Fitzgerald but rather the brutal landscape that he must conquer to get to his ultimate goal. Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki's gorgeous camera work goes a long way toward creating this atmosphere with his wide, sweeping shots of the terrain and the innovative camera shots that showed the danger contained within. With these two men's brilliance capturing such a wonderful cast, there is no doubt that "The Revenant" will back up a strong showing at the Golden Globes (three wins and a fourth nomination) and be a strong contender going into the Academy Awards the end of February.
