Movie Review- The Revenant

Bundled in a cozy sweater with a piping hot coffee in hand, I settled in to watch The Revenant.

 PLOT - Set in the early 1800's, The Revenant follows an American fur trapping expedition in the North. The expedition faces a major set-back, when they are attacked by a native tribe and only a handful of men survive. As they struggle to return to their base, their navigator, Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is attacked by a bear.

A few men, including Glass' son (Forrest Goodluck), agree to stay behind with the barely living, Glass, while the rest of the men push forward for help. The head of the expedition, Captain Andrew Henry (Domhall Gleeson) makes a verbal agreement with John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), of a bonus payment contingent on his caring for Glass, including a proper burial if Glass dies. Thinking that Glass won't survive and no one will find out, Fitzgerald murders Glass' son and leaves Glass for dead. He doesn't count on Glass' determination to survive and get his revenge.

LIKE- The Revenant is visually stunning with gorgeous landscapes. It's striking and awe inspiring. The Revenant absolutely must be seen on the big screen. 

The camera work, with many close shots and a single shot ( or close to it) battle sequence, serves the story by creating intimacy and immediacy. The reaction is visceral. I felt immersed in the story, unable to contain gasps and the instinct to wrap my arms protectively around my chest. The movie that I saw previously to The Revenant, was Tarantino's The Hateful Eight. Tarantino is known for violence and gore, but he has nothing on The Revenant. The difference  being the realism in The Revenant and the clever camera work that didn't allow for the audience to create a distance from the story. It's an immersive experience. Director Alejandro G. Inarritu has created a masterpiece.

Talking about gore, the bear attack sequence is phenomenal. I don't know much about special effects, but I do know a lot about bears ( many hours spent on a bear research team at our local zoo) and this scene felt absolutely realistic and terrifying. I read an article that talked about this sequence and how the primary source material was a viral video of a man getting attacked at a zoo in Germany. Naturally, I went to Youtube to check it out. Yikes! 

Besides a top-notch story, compelling camera work, and gorgeous scenery...the acting is fantastic. The Revenant is going to be a highlight of DiCaprio's already impressive career. This is the award winner. Gleeson and Hardy are well-cast and any nominations thrown their way, will be well-deserved. 

DISLIKE- Nothing. One of the best, if not the very best, film that I saw in 2015.

RECOMMEND- Yes, yes, yes...catch it before it leaves theaters. 

Movie Review- The Heat

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You should judge this book by its cover. The new Sandra Bullock/ Melissa McCarthy buddy-cop movie, The Heat, is as painfully bad as its poster. Truly, this was one of the worst movies that I've ever seen.

Admittedly, the previews for The Heat didn't entice me. My aunt likes Sandra Bullock movies and was in need of some comic relief, so we went. 

Bullock is predictably cast as the awkward cop. I have no idea why Bullock is consistently cast as characters lacking coordination. She's not good with physical comedy and it's not funny.

McCarthy is the loud-mouth, ballsy cop. I'm not bothered by swearing, but McCarthy's character swears more than all of the characters in a Quentin Tarantino film combined. Again, it's not funny.

Neither character is remotely likable.  The friendship between the two characters doesn't really develop until the last fourth of the film and by that point, it's far too late. I needed to relate and sympathize with these two misfit cops and I never did. 

The actual plot of the film is very conventional.  In order to leave the plot alone and make me like the movie, I needed to have fun watching the two main characters interact.

Nearly every minor character in the film is a colorful character, heavily playing on stereotypes such as McCarthy's loud Italian family or the slimy drug lord. Every element is highly unrealistic. However, had the two leads been fun to watch, I may have gotten into the spirit of the style. It should of played out more like Anchorman, where the audience willingly gives in to the absurd. 

McCarthy won me over for her role of Sookie St. James on Gilmore Girls. I thought that she stole the show in Bridesmaids and is generally really funny. I don't know how she got roped into starring in this piece of crap.  

Usually even with really bad comedies, I find something that strikes me as funny. I didn't laugh once during The Heat. The writing is atrocious and the deluge of one-liners is eye-roll inducing. 

There is absolutely nothing that could compel me to watch this again or recommend it.