THE REVENANT (2015)
The Revenant's greatest strength is that it's a standalone work -- it's entirely its own thing. Sure we've seen straightforward revenge stories like The Brave One (Jodie Foster), Man on Fire (Denzel Washington) and Death Sentence (Kevin Bacon) before, but ingenious director Alejandro Inarritu had no intentions of allowing The Revenant to travel down a similar, beaten path.
I've seen this description in other reviews, but I think it's true: You don't really watch The Revenant, you experience it. Inarritu and his Academy Award winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki transport us to a dark, cold, lonely and unforgiving world. There's snow on the ground. The wind howls with longing. Deadly Native Americans lurk in the shadows. No one is safe, or happy.
All the while, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Carsten Nicolai's haunting score eats away at us. Hopelessness is their sound.
Inarritu's well-deserved accolades for Birdman allowed him the flexibility to assemble this Dream Team of cinematography, music and acting. With the biggest movie star in the world at the top of his billing, Inarritu set out to put his cast and crew through hell. And that he did. The result was a product that feels authentic, and that's an awfully difficult thing to achieve when you have a director, cinematographer and actor all fishing for awards and recognition.
Right? When the Academy Award winning director teams up with the Academy Award winning cinematographer, the top star in the industry (Leonardo DiCaprio), another superstar (Tom Hardy) and a rising talent (Domhnall Gleeson), we know what they are trying to accomplish, don't we?
And yet, The Revenant doesn't play like awards bait. It isn't beautifully written or well-paced, but it also isn't disingenuous cookie-cutter crap. In a year that featured Best Picture nominees like Brooklyn (contrived, artificial trash), The Martian (safe), Bridge of Spies (safe), The Big Short (overrated screenplay) and Mad Max: Fury Road (absolute dogshit), The Revenant was a breath of fresh air. I personally like both Spotlight and Steve Jobs better, but The Revenant's supporters have plenty of ammunition.
For me, this wasn't the best performance of DiCaprio's career -- I prefer Jordan Belfort, Calvin Candie, Howard Hughes and to be honest, Jay Gatsby -- but he channeled the hell of filming well. Playing Hugh Glass required a more physical performance than usual, and I commend Leo for stepping out of his comfort zone. He may be a lofty movie star who buys into his own hype, but he fully commits to his roles. That, combined with careful film selections and of course, his charm, are why he's risen to the acting throne.
The Revenant is at its best in the opening hour of the action. I don't want to give too much away, but let's just say we get two spectacular action sequences that you will not forget. One of those scenes is one of the most jaw-dropping I've ever seen. Really incredible CGI.
The film drags through the middle section -- you could say, literally -- but there are some interesting survival techniques and absolutely gorgeous shots of the snow-lined landscape. This movie is far from perfect, but it's most certainly a work of art. The pounding score meshes beautifully with many of Lubezki's awe-inspiring panoramic shots.
Hardy gives a little depth to his despicable villain, but you have to look hard for it. Gleeson is a delight as the crew captain who is very simply, a good man. He leads with rationality and fairness.
All in all, The Revenant is best suited for audience members who view film as a pure artform. This is not a story-driven movie, but I think it's worth seeing. It has its flaws, but I promise you will remember it.
The Revenant is at its best in the opening hour of the action. I don't want to give too much away, but let's just say we get two spectacular action sequences that you will not forget. One of those scenes is one of the most jaw-dropping I've ever seen. Really incredible CGI.
The film drags through the middle section -- you could say, literally -- but there are some interesting survival techniques and absolutely gorgeous shots of the snow-lined landscape. This movie is far from perfect, but it's most certainly a work of art. The pounding score meshes beautifully with many of Lubezki's awe-inspiring panoramic shots.
Hardy gives a little depth to his despicable villain, but you have to look hard for it. Gleeson is a delight as the crew captain who is very simply, a good man. He leads with rationality and fairness.
All in all, The Revenant is best suited for audience members who view film as a pure artform. This is not a story-driven movie, but I think it's worth seeing. It has its flaws, but I promise you will remember it.
** JOHNNY FRO'S RATING: 8.5 out of 10 **
Not long after its theatrical release, when it first reached syndication, I had seen about half of A Perfect Murder. It was an absolute mistake not to watch it from the beginning, and I was probably too young to understand what a high-quality film this is. Watching it in its entirety a couple of times in the past few months, I can safely say that this is a very tight screenplay with very little excess fat. Screenwriter Patrick Smith Kelly did a heck of a job, though he only went on to pen Don't Say a Word (also starring Michael Douglas). Does anyone know what happened to him?
Anyway, much of A Perfect Murder's fun lies in its twists and turns, so I won't discuss much of the plot. However, I will say this: In my opinion, this film does not have a protagonist. That in itself is a very unusual concept. Steven Taylor (Douglas), Emily Taylor (Gwyneth Paltrow) and David Shaw (Viggo Mortensen) have all sinned in different ways. A morally flexible viewer will find themselves rooting for and against each individual character at different times throughout the unfolding of the plot. They each get duped. They each make critical mistakes.
Of course, a movie that leans so heavily on three performances has to be well-acted to succeed. Douglas is shifty and slick, Paltrow is simultaneously pained and strong, and Mortensen is slimy and at times, a bit humorous. It's a mouse, cat and dog game. Is that a thing?
I tend to really enjoy a movie when I find myself agreeing with the little choices that are made by the filmmakers. I believe every film requires tens of thousands of decisions. You can survive a few missteps, but the more you make, the more your film slips into mediocrity and/or obscurity. Director Andrew Davis, screenwriter Smith Kelly, Douglas, Paltrow and Mortensen all make good decisions. I was delighted by each of the shifts in the narrative.
When the credits rolled after my first end-to-end viewing, I was a bit stunned by how good this film was. Lo and behold, my follow-up research quickly revealed that A Perfect Murder was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder, one of the few of his I haven't seen. Needless to say, I wasn't the least bit surprised.
Any adult with half a brain and a moderate attention span should enjoy this movie. Highly recommended.
** JOHNNY FRO'S RATING: 9 out of 10 **
JOY (2015)
Things inevitably get messy in a David O. Russell film, and this one simply flies off the tracks. Joy is an unfocused film that never seems to know where it's going, and the blame falls solely on Russell's shoulders. This one got away and never came back.
Jennifer Lawrence does her best with the lead role of Joy Mangano, but Russell's approach to her personal struggles is just too heavy-handed. This movie is like the white girl version of The Pursuit of Happyness, but it lacks the latter's small touches of grace and feeling. Joy is a loud, clunky mess.
Robert De Niro essentially reprises his oft-annoying role from Silver Linings Playbook (a far superior Russell flick), while Bradley Cooper's part feels underwritten. I think a significant portion of his character was left on the cutting room floor, and the plot displays those holes.
There are a few strong scenes -- when Joy desperately pitches one of her products in a crowded parking lot; when a salesman torpedoes her dreams on the QVC network and near the end, when she returns the favor after reaching the big time -- but those moments are far and few between.
I really enjoy Silver Linings Playbook and I liked many aspects of Russell's American Hustle, but Joy simply isn't very good. Don't waste your time, unless you're really desperate for something to watch.
** JOHNNY FRO'S RATING: 5.5 out of 10 **
Late-Night Boredom's Updated Rankings:
1. A Perfect Murder (9/10)
2. Bad Moms (9/10)
3. The Revenant (8.5/10)
4. The Shallows (7.5/10)
5. The Night Before (7/10)
6. 10 Cloverfield Lane (7/10)
7. The Walk (7/10)
8. Joy (5.5/10)
Reviews to Come...
Steve Jobs
Untraceable
The Wonder Boys
Jackie Brown
Mean Streets
Nerve
The Hateful Eight
The Seven Five
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates
How to Be Single
Basquiat
Deadpool
Ratatouille
The Spectacular Now
And more...
