Super Frat

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Hugh Glass in Revenant, a movie that takes place after the colonial period but before the Wild West.  The true story is actually somewhat crazier than what the movie portrays, but Hollywood felt it necessary to add more melodrama.  (They always do.)

The basic premise is that Glass is a scout leading an expedition of trappers through the wilderness with his son.  After being beset by all kinds of problems at the time, he’s mauled by a bear and thought to be close to death.  Tom Hardy plays Fitzpatrick, the selfish trapper that just wants to put him down so that the rest of the group can survive.  The trailer portrays the movie as kind of a wilderness revenge story, but at lot of it is build up.  Hardy, as always, is amazing in his role.  His voice and mannerism are just incredible.

This movie is bloody and made me feel cold throughout.  Director Alejandro González Iñárritu does a great job of setting the mood and doesn’t spoon feed you the info.  This is a movie where you have to pay attention.  At the same time, however, the narrative is simplified as compared to what actually happened.  For all the effort he put into creating a complex set of characters, I’m a little disappointed he didn’t go with the real, more complex ending.

That being said, it’s still a smart movie that evokes a lot of emotion.  It is not for the squeamish.  Hardy deserves some award for this one.

I recommend this one and give it 8 and a half keggers out of 10.