THE REVENANT (2015)

1/12/2016 - The Revenant (2015) - 8+/10

Wow. Tour de force of stunning beauty, extraordinary violence, the most thrilling and awe inspiring display of human endeavor and will (both on the camera and behind it).

Pulse pounding yet deeply serene. A striking achievement in cinematography, direction, acting, and total film making. Worthy of the hype and the praise. Singular vision and brilliance.

Leo was superb. This was Gleeson (I'm in everything)'s best role. And Hardy was solid. But Lubezki stole the show. The cinematography was otherworldly. Every frame was a painting; a work of art each and unto itself. His eye, with Inarritu's direction left images and scenes of haunting power and indomitable exquisiteness.

Qualms in its tidiness of plot, simplicity, or its nigh sadistic stare seem unworthy in comparison to the totality of the cinematic triumph. Perhaps myopic as a philosophical treatise and horrifically grandiose instead of graceful, that only veers it from the godly to the superhuman.

Perfect: perhaps not, but it fell not far from the lofty heights. Affecting, gorgeous, pretenseless, and impeccable. Maybe not magical, but human in the most grotesque and visceral of ways.