Cert 15
156 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong bloody violence, bloody injury detail, strong language
Never mind the Oscars, what about THAT scene with the bear?
You may be dithering over whether to go to the movies to see Alejandro González Iñárritu's bleak and very violent The Revenant but the bear scene is worth the entrance money on its own.
I'm not spoiling the movie by hailing Leonardo DiCaprio's wrestle with a grizzly because it is the platform for the rest of a riveting but very grim film.
And, of course, there is much more to The Revenant as the Academy Awards judges who have nominated it 12 times will testify.
The hot money is on DiCaprio winning a golden statuette for his performance as Hugh Glass, a fur trading frontiersman who is left for dead after the bear attack.
He is very impressive but was more so as The Wolf Of Wall Street for which he was nominated but received no cigar. Nevertheless, I wouldn't deny that his body of work has been long overdue the movie industry's ultimate recognition.
Glass is the chief tracker among a group of traders' who are trying to dodge battle-hardened native Americans as well as attempting to survive the harshest of cold winters.
He is expected to die after coming off second to the grizzly, so their leader (Domhnall Gleeson) leaves him in the care of his son (Forrest Goodluck) and two of the team, perpetually angry John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) and perpetually nervous Bridger (Will Poulter) (I found it interesting that three of the leading cast members were non-Americans, speaking with thick American accents).
Anyway, Glass is left for dead and the remainder of the film sees him battle against the odds on a revenge mission.
Iñárritu's pièce de résistance is the bear scene but their are many other such clashes with nature or man which punctuate the frozen landscape of The Revenant.
Most include DiCaprio fighting groups, individuals or the elements.
Actually, Hardy deserves the greatest acting plaudits because he has much more input in terms of dialogue.
I would recommend The Revanant because it is superbly acted and brilliantly directed but I would add the caveat that it requires stamina not only because it is two and a half hours long but also because some scenes are stomach-churning,
Reasons to watch: Great acting and THAT bear scene
Reasons to avoid: Its goriness and that it goes on too long
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: yes
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 9/10
Star Tweet
The Golden Globes were incredible last night! SO proud of The Revenant Family!!! 
