So the film everyone is raving about at the moment is The Revenant. It dominated at the Golden Globes and is predicted to at The Oscars. I am always wary of films with so much hype and normally for good reason, however I felt that this film may be different so popped down to the Broadway for a nice afternoon viewing.
Nice was not the word, this film as one of my friends said, is not suitable for vegetarians, it really isn’t; in fact I would go as far to say it’s not suitable for vegetarians, animal lovers or those of a weak to medium disposition. During that particular showing a number of people actually left.
However, I found it captivating, although predictable, full of ridiculous stretches (just keep reminding yourself it’s just a film – artistic license and all that, the arrow in his back can magically disappear) and reminded me in places of an extreme episode of Bear Grylls. It is definitely one that splits the audience, one man as we left the screen claimed it was his 6th viewing because “it’s that bloody good”.
Personally, i think it would be a shame if Decaprio won his first Oscar for this mediocre performance, What’s eating Gilbert Grape and Blood Diamond truly showed off his acting abilities, this didn’t. Neither did it for Tom Hardy, who seemed to be his character from The Take but with a scalped head and a beard. If you are going to watch this to see two of the hottest men on earth right now on screen together, then save two and half hours of your time and Google an interview of them talking about the film instead, they aren’t all that in this.
Not sure there really is a moral to this story either, it doesn’t really give you a piece of American history, it does however show that on both sides of any battle people can be vile and people can be kind, but everyone knows that already.
Go see this if you love to feel vicariously frozen, witness guts and gore of both the human and animal variety or just to see what side of the fence you will sit on.
Now showing at Broadway until 28 January.
Review by Josie Opal
