Thoughts I Had...From Leo On the Set of "The Revenant"
Friday, January 23, 2015 at 11:15PM abstew here. We might be in the midst of the current Oscar season, but it's never too early to start thinking about...next year already. Now, I can hear you all saying, "Good god, man! The ceremony is still a month away! Can't we at least hand out the statues for 2014 before thinking of 2015?!" Blame these just released pictures from Entertainment Weekly from the set of current Best Director nominee Alejandro González Iñárritu's next film set to come out on Christmas, The Revenant, because they are already screaming, Oscar! The film is based on the novel by Michael Punke and is a grizzly story of revenge! Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Hugh Glass, a fur trapper in the 1820s Wild West that is left for dead after a bear attack. He miraculously survives but seeks out vengeance on the men that left him for dead. The film is being shot by Oscar-winning Cinematographer (and current nominee for his work in Birdman) Emmanuel Lubezki, who is trying to shoot it all in natural light. How could we not share our thoughts from these first pics?
- Bearded Mountain Man Leo! With Tom Hardy and Domhnall Gleeson co-starring as well, I expect a lot more burly, manly beards in the film. It may have to be retitled Beards: The Movie! And people keep saying the beard trend has reached its peak...
- I hate myself for asking, but is this the film that wins Leo an Oscar? We all know Oscar likes to make men wait, but he turned 40 this past year (that's right, Jack Dawson, is all growed up now) and he's already been nominated 4 times previously in the acting categories. How long will they make him wait? And working with Iñárritu, hot off of Birdman seems promising.
- That coat and hair look pretty gnarly. I guess he doesn't have time for hot shower in his quest. Maybe he wouldn't be so angry if he had time for a nice relaxing bubble bath?
- I'm kinda loving the fact that both Leo and Kate have revenge themed films coming out at Oscar time. Kate has the Australian-set, 1950s fashion revenge The Dressmaker coming out in the Fall. I would love to see the two of them reunited at awards shows again. Never let go!
- So his name is Hugh Glass? Doesn't sound very menacing. I wonder if he's related to George...
- Are we certain this isn't just a still from Cold Mountain?
- After Birdman showed that not all his films have to be so heavy, I'm guessing from the film's plot and those ominous grey clouds that Iñárritu is back to bleak.
- As an actressexual, I have to ask - are there are any women in this at all? Iñárritu has previously directed 4 women to Oscar nominations, hopefully there's a nice female role as well. Like a kindly widow played by Natalie Portman that takes him in and...wait, that's Cold Mountain again.
- It's nice to see that Leo is allowed to work with directors other than Martin Scorsese occasionally.
- Who is that mystery man that Leo and Alejandro are looking at? They both look leery of him. Perhaps there's a bear in the distance and they are not in the mood to deal with their own potential revenge-type, bear related escapade. [Exit, pursued by a bear]
- If anything, those trees are giving me a good feeling that Lubezki is gonna have some gorgeous nature shots in this. He's worked with Terrence Malick many times before, so the man definitely knows his way around a dreamy landscape.
Your turn: what do you think of Leo's rugged new look? Is this a 2015 Oscar contender or do you want to seek revenge against me for even asking?
Reader Comments (16)
DiCaprio is a bad actor. There I said it!
Love Leo (and Jack Dawson forever) - if the film is good and he is as good as usual in it then this could very well be his Oscar. Fingers crossed!
I'm glad you posted something regarding next year's Oscars because this year's is pretty much over with and no longer exciting. I hope Leo is amazing and can finally get the win that lesser actors and performances have taken from him.
People who got hold of the script seem to glean that Leo is going to be pretty strong, silent type and that Tom Hardy has the potential breakout role. Again, based on the script that likely went through re-writes.
But Hardy outshining everybody in the Leo vehicle wouldn't be the first time.
I also have to laugh about BFF Lukas Haas credited in another Leo movie yet again.
imdb cast list has no women. Not even Naomi Watts as the local saloon girl with the heart of gold................ Maybe it was a female bear?
Pretty sure that mystery man is Lubezki.
@Joe-Yes... that is Chivo.
Love Domnhall Gleeson and Hardy. Hoping DiCaprio stretches himself again.
While I'm anticipating this film does is not the role for DiCaprio to win an Oscar. Hardy has the role of the story and while DiCaprio can be great I don't see him winning this year. I mean Newman had to wait so long and DiCaprio could easily follow that path. I think sight unseen our possible best actor winner is Ian McKellen in Mr. Holmes. We should know soon as the film is premiring at Berlin and McKellen who sadly lost for Gods and Monsters should be able to have a strong chance considering if Bill Condon has made a good film. If we look by how McKellen and Condon worked together before I have confidence.
I hope not. I'm not a Leo fan, I never got the hype (neither looks-wise nor talent) but I'm sure he'll win someday and I'll have to watch it happen. So maybe we should just get it over with.
I'd endure an Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel and Biutiful if it meant getting a Birdman.
The focus now is on Leo in this film but it's the villain's role which Hardy plays that will get the attention come next Oscar season. As much as I love Leo, that British dude is awesome in everything I've seen him in. Leo just isn't in the same class.
I like Leo and think he's only gotten better film to film with Scorsese. But because he is so choosy in projects, I really cannot say his improvement is happening in other films and other directors.
Newman's career like Leo's took off in essentially filling the role of a fallen star (for Newman it was James Dean and for Leo it was River Phoenix) except one of them really embraced and didn't care if he was a heartthrob, and that's a substantial difference between Leo and Newman. Newman also had a certain charisma where you didn't really care if he is pretty much playing a role solely on star power. Leo unfortunately is in the post-method generation where the more 'out of character', the better. Leo isn't so much limited as he is overly self-selecting in his work. Newman at his age was already showed an incredible amount of range, in comparison. Wolf showed Leo probably should at least try more comedies, with the right script. Given the state of Hollywood, several smart comedies in the production purgatory could be saved if he said yes to doing those, as his box office track record is probably the best thing you can say about him.
In another controversial statement, I think Hardy is closer to a Newman even if he also does the weight shifts, play out of character, and action-ers. Endless charisma and has a sense of humor about himself while also making serious cinema with all sorts of directors.
Hardy is more a Brando than a Newman for me, for all kinds of reasons, not *all* physical.
DiCaprio needs to lighten up. His insistence on proven auteurs with heavy subject matter seems like the best possible path on paper. But the work is insincere. And his growth never feels organic. More or less an unintended for him moment was captured by the crew. Used in the final cut. And everyone who saw it declared it growth. And we never get a real followup because it was not premeditated by DiCaprio.
Both Iñarritu and DiCaprio. back in grim mode makes me want to run as far away from this movie as I can. I loved Birdman but have pretty much hated everything else Alejandro has made.