Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Director: George Miller
Story: George Miller, Brendan McCarthy and Nico Lathouris
Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron
Music: Junkie XL
Time: 120 minutes
Bottom-line: Bit overhyped; maybe not my type of film  

Following The Revenant, Mad Max: Fury Road leads the Oscar nominations with a whooping ten, including Best Picture and Director! George Miller directs the fourth installment in the Mad Max franchise, and Tom Hardy replaces Mel Gibson for the titular role. While most critics and audience liked the film, I for one, find it not as great as the reviews and ratings say; to me, ten Oscar nominations seem absurd!

Hardy as Max

Oh, what a day! What a lovely day!
Set in the future, following a nuclear holocaust, the world is now a desert with barely any water or gasoline. One survivor is Max Rockatansky, (Hardy), who is captured by the “War Boys”, the army of a tyrant: Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). One of Joe’s soldiers is Imperator Furiosa (Theron), who is given responsibility to ferry gasoline between Gas Town and Joe’s Citadel. En route, she takes a detour away from Gas Town, and we come to know that her mission is actually to protect Joe’s Five Wives – one of whom is pregnant – and take them to safe custody. Joe sends an army after Furiosa to capture her. In the road battle that ensues, Max and Furiosa team up, despite their initial hostilities. How the two of them fight out Joe’s army in one extended road battle is what the film is about.

Theron as Furiosa 

For a budget of $150 million, the settings, cinematography, visual effects and costumes were outstanding! There is nothing new about the filming techniques; I’ve seen better action films and much better cinematography, but for a pure action film such as this, the director and the crew did well to pace each sequence and film it precisely to keep all the viewers gasping for more. I liked the portrayal of the post-apocalyptic world too: the way the people have become so emaciated, their desperation for water and most importantly, their will to survive. Though I am not usually a fan of gun violence or continuous action, Fury Road interested me because of the new style of action - to see new weapons, new types of armies and of course, all those monster truck type vehicles induced a liking for the movie in me.

Though on screen we are just shown one long road battle, the central theme of the story is supposed to be survival, though how so is still not very clear to me. Yes it is obvious that Furiosa, Max and the others are all looking for the Utopian “Green Land” and they all are willing to help each other even by sacrificing themselves when needed. (Spoiler) But when they eventually find out that the land is not what it was and they turn back, is it supposed to symbolise that there is no ideal place? And in the end why does Max disappear into the crowd? These are few things still unclear in my mind.

Keays-Byrne as Immortan Joe

As far as acting is concerned, Charlize Theron steals the show. Being almost unrecognisable with her new haircut and grease-stained forehead, she plays a powerful female hero, leading the pack of Wives to safety, away from the gang of men in hot pursuit. Her character is like The Bride in the Kill Bill films but on a grander scale. I think Theron is one actress who does a sublime job at playing strong-willed heroes, particularly after her career-best performance in Monster. Tom Hardy hardly has any expression or dialogue, and occasionally mumbles out a few words. His performance in The Revenant is a dozen times better than this one.

The war rig 

So I guess Mad Max: Fury Road is just not my type of film. I still fail to see how it is rated so high; probably because it revived the series in a grand manner, but otherwise there’s not much to it. It is "just another action film", but the action is terrific, no doubt.

My Rating: 3/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97%

Thani Oruvan (2015)

English translation: The Lone Man
Director: Mohan Raja 
Story: Mohan Raja, Subha
Cast: Jeyam Ravi, Nayantara, Arvind Swamy
Music: Hiphop Tamizha
Time: 155 minutes
Bottom-line: A new type of thriller, with Arvind Swamy giving the performance of his life!

“Un edhiri yaar endru sol... Nee yaar endru solgiren” (translates to “Tell me who your enemy is; I’ll tell you who you are”).

2015 managed to produce at least one good Tamil film, and it is this drama from Mohan Raja. With some terrific acting and an engaging storyline, Thani Oruvan proves that to become successful at the box office and amongst critics, one need not make a masala film all the time.

Jeyam Ravi as Mithran 

The film begins with the arrest of a juvenile, for supposedly murdering a politician. After the opening credits, the timeline shifts several years later, and we meet Mithran (Ravi), an IPS trainee, and his four friends. His lover is Mahima (Nayantara), but Mithran has no plans of having a relationship. Mithran’s main reason for joining the police force is because he wants to root out all the criminals in Chennai, by capturing the three main leaders. As the story progresses we see that all three of them work for a bigger crime lord – a scientist, Siddharth Abimanyu (Swamy). Siddharth seems to have influence in every field and is practically impossible to destroy. Watch what Mithran – the thani oruvan – does to stop Siddahrth’s crimes, as the two involve in a battle of wits...

Arvind Swamy as Siddharth 

This film has that Face/Off type background – two guys, one good one bad, playing out each other to such an extent that at one point you don’t know whether you love the hero or villain. While Mithran’s goals and good heart win your admiration, Siddharth’s debonair portrayal of the villain is way too amazing! He’s everything Tony Stark is – and I mean the style too – but is on the villains’ side. Siddharth is probably the best Tamil movie character of the year! No one can make you so emphatically hate a movie character than this guy, at least among recent films! Jeyam Ravi plays the counterpart, and his acting was excellent too. The way he expresses anger and determination, when Siddharth keeps crushing upon his goal, is something to look out for. Nayantara did a decent job too – it was interesting to see her in a non-romantic role for a change!

Nayantara as Mahima

The story, its loopholes and masala elements apart, is exciting, and paced superbly. The film does not use any of the usual storylines – lover’s father being the villain, or the hero being a poor guy trying for a rich girl or anything like that. The story has a solid foundation, and most it is firm except for a few bits. The twists hit you at just the right moments, and the acting of Ravi and Swamy do the required to hold you in an iron grip. The climax was, in particular, very interesting, especially Siddharth’s part; it was something completely unexpected! The other highlight of the storyline is the punch lines spoken by Mithran and Siddharth, including the latter’s “Love at first sight; kill at first betrayal”.

Thani Oruvan was an enjoyable experience. It wasn’t the greatest film, but it was certainly an unexpected entry into this year’s Kollywood films. Watch the film for Arvind Swamy’s and Ravi’s acting... they make sure that the 155 minutes will not go wasted!

My Rating: 3.5/5

Die Hard (1988)

Director: John McTiernan
Screenplay: Steven E. De Souza, Jeb Stuart (based on the novel by Roderick Thorp)
Cast: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman 
Music: Michael Kamen
Time: 132 minutes
Bottom-line: Could well be the definition of “action film” 

As a tribute to actor Alan Rickman who passed away recently, I review what I consider to be his magnum opus, Die Hard. This 1988 action film set a benchmark for countless action films to come, and its impact on film-goers is mind-blowing!

Christmas Eve: NYC Police Detective John McClane (Willis) arrives at Nakatomi Plaza, LA to meet up with his ex-wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia). Just before the events are about to commence, a group of men arrive in a truck. They are later found be twelve terrorists, led by Hans Gruber (Rickman). While all the guests are held hostage, McClane alone escapes with nothing but his gun. Gruber demands the executive, Takagi, to give the codes to the vault. With thirteen men against one cop, and hundreds of lives in danger, what does the cop do to save possible save everyone? The odds are against John McClane... but that’s the way he likes it. 

Willis as McClane

With an impossible task in front of him of protecting the people against the terrorists, it is going to take a ridiculous amount of stunts, action and luck for things to go McClane’s way. So, requirement #1 before watching Die Hard ¬ assume anything and everything is possible; after all, fortune favours the brave! The story does not give much of a build-up to the plot; we are thrown almost immediately into the action. One action sequence follows another, as we are caught in the battle of wits and guns of McClane and Gruber and co. It is almost like a real time story, with the entire “adventure” taking place over few hours on Christmas Eve.

Die Hard features the best terrorist villain I have seen in Hollywood films, and probably one of the most popular villains of all time. Alan Rickman, - this being his first movie - couldn’t have made a better entry into cinema! With his cold voice, menacing stare and ingenious planning, his character Hans Gruber is a class apart. Bruce Willis does an amazing job, playing the superhero cop, and in the process becoming synonymous with the name John McClane (though the other Die Hard films he starred in did not even remotely close to matching this one). With several punch lines, dry humour and tremendous charisma, Willis takes this thriller to a whole new level!

Rickman as Gruber

The action in this film has no bounds, but that’s what makes the film a classic. Look out for the scene where McClane catches the attention of the cop by throwing out a corpse, and the scene where Gruber pretends to be a hostage. In fact, the impact Die Hard has had on action films is so much that there is a list of action films that are just a version of this one – Speed (Die hard on a bus), Under Siege 2 (Die Hard on a train) and so on... in my opinion the next “action” film that has come close to competing with this 1988 film is The Matrix, released 11 years later.

So with terrific acting, humour, drama and 40 stories of sheer adventure, Die Hard is a holiday classic that will remain unmatched for its action. Though Alan Rickman’s most popular role is that of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise (2001 – 2011), I will remember him as the man who played Hans Gruber.

In memory of Alan Rickman (21 Feb 1946 - 14 Jan 2016)

My Rating: 4/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 92%

45 Years (2015)

Director: Andrew Haigh
Screenplay: Andrew Haigh (based on the short story by David Constantine) 
Cast: Charlotte Rampling, Tom Courtenay 
Time: 95 minutes
Bottom-line: Meant especially for married couples

This British film is one of the not-so-popular films of 2015. Based on a short story, the film talks about a couple, Kate Mercer (Rampling) and Geoff Mercer (Courtenay), who are one week away from celebrating their 45th anniversary. But then Geoff receives a letter, saying that the body of his ex-girlfriend Katya has been found preserved in the glaciers of the Alps, where she fell to her death, 50 years ago. This does not seem a big deal, but Kate notices that her husband is changing after receiving the letter – Geoff starts smoking again, wakes up at midnight to look at Katya’s photos; Kate gets the feeling that their 45th anniversary may not take place at all...

I quote another critic who so beautifully said, “The most important character in the film is only spoken about, but never speaks.” Indeed, he was referring to Katya. Everyone has a chapter of their life that they don’t read aloud, and this film specifically talks about that one chapter in Geoff’s life. His fifty-year old memories come rushing back to him, and suddenly he is not the same anymore. I love the way all the character transitions are shown purely through emotion, and the dialogues have very little importance in the film. The camera work is splendid; Lol Crawley, the cinematographer does well to time each shot perfectly, just long enough to capture that subtle change in expression and emotion in each character’s face.

Rampling as Kate

Both Courtenay and Rampling use this film to showcase their best acting performances. Rampling plays the wife who sees her forty-five year relationship shatter in a week’s time. I liked the way she plays a character so calm on the outside, but has a mountain of emotions hidden inside her – I mean who wouldn’t be sad if their husband undergoes such a sudden change in behaviour? Her acting in the last scene gives way to a two-way ending, which is left to the viewers to the decide – is she smiling because she is so happy, or is it because she knows it is all only temporary? Courtenay plays the husband for whom suddenly everything is a dilemma. He too, using only his voice modulation and body language, subtly conveys all his inner feelings about love.

Courtenay as Geoff

There is no real story. The film is just to show how fate can play around with your life... sometimes after waiting for 45 years to pull out the surprise package! I for one liked the way the film shows the complicated relationship using very simple dialogues and powerful acting, but married couples may be able to empathise more with the characters. Nevertheless, this is one film worth watching; very rarely does a 95 minute film give you so many thoughts to mull over...

My Rating: 3.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98%

Inside Out (2015)

Director: Pete Docter
Story: Ronnie del Carmen and Pete Docter
Cast: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black and Mindy Kaling
Music: Michael Giacchino
Time: 94 minutes
Bottom-line: The “feel good” film of 2015

From the director of one of my favourite animated films, Up, comes another terrific film: Inside Out. In a time where it’s so rare to see proper family films, this one is simple, elegant, moving and made for all ages, especially teenagers. The title refers to the fact that throughout the film you are seeing the outside world from the inside of a person’s head.

How much ever we deny the fact, it is always true that each one of us have a set of “little voices in the head”. Meet Riley, a eleven year old in Minnesota. In her mind’s headquarters are five personifications of her emotions: Joy (Poehler), Sadness (Smith), Fear (Hader), Disgust (Kaling) and Anger (Black). They take control of her feeling and behaviour using a console. Riley’s five major traits are manifested as five islands, powered by her “long-term memories”. When Riley’s family moves to San Francisco, Riley begins to miss her old home and friends and starts to feel awkward. Joy, as always, tries to keep her in best spirits, but Sadness (in a seemingly deliberate manner) foils with her memory and makes her glum. Following an accident in the headquarters, Joy and Sadness are sucked away into Riley’s “memory storage” and can no longer control her emotions. While the other three personalities try their best to keep Riley happy, they fail miserably. In the course of Joy and Sadness getting back to the base, we see and experience the various emotions of Riley, and in the process realising the role each of these personalities play in our own lives.

The characters 

The idea that all of our emotions and traits can be treated as islands and actual personalities is what impressed me in the first place. I love the way Riley’s feelings create consequences in the headquarters and the islands. The personalities are created beautifully too: each resembling the very emotion they represent! Concepts like “Imagination Land”, the “Train of Thought” and “Memory Dump” are explored in a wonderful manner. The story is beautifully woven and it has such a simple theme too. The vocal work is brilliant. I was amazed the way each artist modifies his/her to voice to sound exactly like their character: Poehler always speaking in a happy mood, Smith speaking in a more or less monotonous depressed done, and not to forget Black having his bursts of temper every now and then.

Riley

The moral the film gives is that it shows its viewers how each human needs a mix of everything – in the beginning Riley is kept happy all the time by Joy, and none of the personalities seem to find any use for Sadness. Yes though all our parents ask us to be happy every time, feeling sad is not wrong; in fact, sometimes it becomes a necessity. Having too many emotions piled up inside but being only happy on the outside is not good; you need to “let it out” when needed. Towards the end Joy and the others (and the viewers) realise the true purpose of Sadness in Riley’s (and possibly their own) life.

Of course, you must watch the film without scrutinising the mistakes with the plot (which could have ended the film in about 40 minutes itself); just understand that sometimes life deliberately makes you take the longer route to teach a lesson. With excellent animation and a wonderful message, get ready with your family to see the world inside out!

My Rating: 4.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98%

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Story: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Walter Goggins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Demián Bichir
Music: Ennio Morricone
Time: 167 minutes
Bottom-line: Hated it! 

In 2013, Tarantino announced the idea of making his eighth film. Then there came the infamous incident of the script bring leaked, and Tarantino went on to say that he cancelled the movie. Now having watched this three-hour-long-film, I wish he had stuck to his decision, instead of going on to film The Hateful Eight. The film is basically QT’s version of And Then There Were None, with of course, the usual elements he adds and eventually spoils a good film. But one new thing QT tried with this film is that he filmed it in 70mm, the widest release in this format in 20 years. While the movie did display the typical 360 degree and the top view shots, I felt that the script was more suited for a stage drama.

SLJ as Major "The Bounty Hunter" Warren

“Got room for one more?” is the sentence that starts the story. Set a few years after the Civil War, the film begins with John Ruth (Russell), a hangman, taking his prisoner Daisy Domergue (Leigh) to Red Rock, and he is stopped by bounty hunter Major Warren (Jackson), who asks for a lift. They then encounter Chris Mannix (Goggins), who claims to be the Sherriff of Red Rock. The four of them are unable to make it all the way because of a blizzard, and they take refuge at Minnie’s Haberdashery, where they meet the person in charge, Bob (Bichir), the local hangman Mobray (Roth), Joe Gage (Madsen) and General Smithers (Dern). As the eight strangers get to know each other, they realise that no one is who they seem to be. The course of events that take place over the new few hours forms the story of the film.

Jennifer Leigh as Daisy "The Prisoner"
Domergue 

Now this is what happens in pretty much all QT films: an elaborate build-up for each character; elaborate build up for the important scenes especially the ones where someone, or usually everyone, dies at the end; lots of dialogues before the final shootout. The exact same thing happens here too. The plot is not really new if you’ve read Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. So what happens in the first 100 minutes is pretty obvious – people mysteriously start dying, the innocent ones first. It is the last one hour where things go bonkers.

(From top left) Russell as Ruth, SLJ, JJL, Madsen as Joe Gage,
Roth as Mobray, Goggins as Mannix, Dern as Smithers and
Bichir as Bob (bottom right) 

The acting made the film interesting though. SLJ and Jennifer Jason Leigh are the standouts, both giving brilliant performances, the former, playing a cunning bounty hunter, and the latter playing a psychotic prisoner, and that is the true highlight of the film. Russell and Goggins have given good supporting roles. Tim Roth tries desperately to imitate Christoph Waltz’ Hans Landa accent and body language... and fails miserably. The other characters barely have more than twenty minutes of screen time, and in fact, Bruce Dern never even gets up from his chair throughout his screen time. One thing I liked about the cast is the variety (importantly, the nickname of each character!). Also, every cast member has that strange look on his face, that immediately makes you doubt something about him, and that helps to build the suspense. But again, just like Django Unchained, the suspense is broken when the guns start talking. Soon it is a matter of who kills who, and that, according to me, ruins a perfectly good plot set-up.

But well if the film still received positive reviews then I guess I am not a QT-movie-liking person... I just feel that while he can build up the suspense well, he cannot keep it going.

My Rating: 2/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 82% 
   

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)

Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Story: Christopher McQuarrie, Drew Pearce 
Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Alec Baldwin 
Music: Joe Kraemer
Time: 131 minutes
Bottom-line: The MI films just get better and better

Though the general notion of any film franchise is that the first film is most successful and the sequels all fail to better it, the Mission Impossible film series has consistently proved to be an exception, with each successive film being more entertaining than the previous ones. The fifth installment of the series comes with more action and a mission more dangerous than anything done before.

Cruise as Hunt, hanging from the door
of a plane

The story begins with Ethan Hunt (Cruise) intercepting nerve gas that was to be sold to terrorists. After the incident, he is convinced of the existence of the Syndicate, an "anti-IMF" criminal organisation believed to be non-existent by most. Hunt is captured by the Syndicate but manages to escape with the help of Ilsa Faust (Ferguson). Meanwhile, CIA Director Hunley (Baldwin) has the IMF absorbed into the CIA, criticising its destructive methods. With Faust’s character being highly unpredictable, and Hunt being “hunted” by the CIA, it is up to Hunt, Brandt (Renner), Benji (Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames) to bring down the Syndicate, with no help at all...

Ferguson as Ilsa Faust

Tom Cruise is 53 years old (I know, I am shocked too!), but just like the character he plays: Ethan Hunt, he is as fit as ever and never seems to age. Yeah that is something you need to digest to enjoy the MI films. From the opening sequence where Hunt is on a plane (and not in it), in the scene where he dives into the underwater vault, and till the final showdown, his stunts are ridiculous (and Cruise did not use a stunt double for the opening sequence), but hey, that’s why people love him isn’t it? Tom Cruise is one guy who has no match in playing the role of Ethan Hunt. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself holding your breath for three minutes for no apparent reason, or if the person next to you complains about you holding his arm too tight. I liked the plot twists in the film, as well as most of the action sequences; the suspense was built up well too.

Renner as Brandt (left) and Rhames as
Luther (right)

Besides Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Pegg and Rhames all reprise their roles, and this cast has done quite well in MI: 4 and MI: 5 (with Pegg giving his regular contribution to dry humour). For Rebecca Fergurson this is the first major film, and to play such a complex character – femme fatale, as they call it – I thought she had done superbly.

Simon Pegg as Benji

That’s pretty much it about this film. If you want to watch it that means you expect a good dose of thrill and adrenaline rush. Rest assured – you will get more than needed! This film’s got a list of jaw-dropping action scenes, edge-of-the-seat suspense, a dozen plot twists and good acting too. This is one entertainment package you do not want to miss!

My Rating: 4/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93% 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Director: J.J. Abrams 
Story: Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams, Michael Arndt
Cast: Harrison Ford, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac
Music: John Williams
Time: 135 minutes
Bottom-line: Visual effects put to good use. That’s pretty much it

Episode VII of the Star Wars franchise was perhaps the most anticipated film of the year, and it’s finally out on screens. The film brings back Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher who all reprise their roles. I am not a hardcore fan of this franchise, which is probably why I didn’t enjoy the film as much as others did.

Ridley as Rey (left), Isaac as Dameron (centre)
and Boyega as Finn

Luke Skywalker (Hamill), the last Jedi, has disappeared. The First Order has risen again and is bent on destroying Luke and the Republic. Luke’s sister Leia Organa (Fisher) leads the Republic. Resistance fighter pilot Poe Dameron (Isaac) receives a map leading to Luke’s location, but just before he is captured by Kylo Ren (Driver) he manages to hide the map in his droid, which escapes, and is later discovered by scavenger Rey (Ridley). Later a Stormtrooper “Finn” (Boyega) helps Dameron escape and they go in search of the droid. Eventually Rey and Finn are met by Han Solo (Ford) and the three of them team up to find Luke.

Ford as Han Solo, and Chewbacca

I did not find anything great about the storyline; in fact, there isn’t one really. The film is just 135 minutes of more or less “video gaming”! Except for the occasional humour, the rest of the time someone is chasing the other and someone else is blowing something up. I felt that the writers could have developed the story a little more, with lesser elements of action. But the good thing that came out of it is the film puts 3D effects and other CGI to good use. All the scenes are dazzling to watch, as are the sets. The cinematography is top-notch.

Driver as Kylo Ren

I did expect the crowd to go wild when Harrison Ford, Hamill, Fisher and C-3PO appeared on the screen, and indeed they did. But whether it is actors who return to the series, or those who star for the first time, there was no opportunity for them to show their skills. Anyone could have played Han Solo in this film; I expected some scene or sequence that only Ford could have perfectly done, but with this amount of action, there wasn’t any. On the other hand, one plus point of the film is that the crew decided to go with the original format to show the opening crawl. And it was good to hear John Williams’ superb score.

The famous Star Wars opening crawl, accompanied
by John Williams' Star Wars: Main Theme

So while The Force Awakens revives the series by bringing back the old stars, as a film by itself, I felt it was quite entertaining, but could have been better in a lot of ways. As to whether one needs to see the first six films before watching Episode VII, I feel that as long as you know the characters well enough, you should be fine.

My Rating: 3/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94%

The Revenant (2015)

Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Screenplay: Mark L. Smith, Alejandro G. Iñárritu (based on the book by Michael Punke) 
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy
Music: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto, Bryce Dessner
Time: 156 minutes
Bottom-line: Spectacular visuals and committed performances make this film a winner

After The Wolf of Wall Street, DiCaprio said he would be taking a long break from acting, to carry on with his environmental activities. Well he’s back, and with what style! The film is titled perfectly too – The Revenant, meaning someone who is back from the dead! Co-starring Tom Hardy as the film’s antagonist, Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s film is a tale of survival, based on the true events experienced by fur trapper Hugh Glass.

1823: A group of hunters and fur trappers are hunting for pelts in the wilderness of Louisiana. They experience a hostile attack from the native Arikara Indians, leading to the death of half the members. The rest of the team escapes in a boat, but their progress is hindered when Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) is mauled by a grizzly bear, and this encounter leaves him nearly dead. The captain offers a payment to the men who are willing to stay behind with Glass while the others continue with their journey. John Fitzgerald (Hardy), Jim Bridger and Glass' son volunteer, but once separated, Fitzgerald reveals his true intentions by almost murdering Glass, saying it is good for the team. Fitzgerald leaves Glass for the dead and escapes. How Glass battles for his life and takes revenge on Fitzgerald is what the film is about.

DiCaprio as Hugh Glass

The main things I liked about the film are the acting and cinematography; the other aspects automatically fit in. Tom Hardy does most of the talking, while DiCaprio barely has 20 lines to speak – most of them in Glass’ native tongue, and of course, a lot of grunting sounds! But what this role does is it shows how terrific DiCaprio’s body language is. One can clearly see the vengeful look he bears in his eyes throughout the film, and of course, he does an amazing job portraying his transformation from an almost dead person to a man strong enough to hunt down Fitzgerald. Tom Hardy plays a cool and calm villain, and he really does make you hate his character. The “dynamic duo” of DiCaprio and Hardy have excellent chemistry between them.

Tom Hardy as Fitzgerald

I am a huge fan of Emmanuel Lubezki, the cinematographer of this film. He has won two back-to-back Academy Awards in this category for Gravity and Birdman. The camerawork is simply superb; Lubezki and Iñárritu have come up with the perfect way to capture the breathtaking landscapes (shot in 12 countries), the actors’ emotions and expressions and the violence. The scene where Glass fights the bear is perhaps the best scene in the film (it will surely obviate any doubt you have as to why it is named a grizzly bear!). In fact, Iñárritu was adamant to shoot without any CGI, and using only natural lighting, and having seen the film, I am amazed that CGI was not used... it seems impossible!

With DiCaprio giving a truly committed performance, I am pretty sure the hot topic in the film industry now is “Will DiCaprio finally win the Oscar?”

My Rating: 4/5
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 80%