The Revenant (8/10): A visual spectacle

"As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight. You breathe... keep breathing."

It's only been a year since Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu delivered the award winning Birdman and somehow he managed to deliver another visual masterpiece in record time. To follow up such a groundbreaking film like Birdman, with an epic adventure film like The Revenant is mesmerizing. But Gonzalez doesn't deserve all the credit, his films have stood out because of Emmanuel Lubezki's groundbreaking cinematography. The best thing about The Revenant is without a doubt its visual style. And the same could be said about Lubezki's previous efforts: Gravity and Birdman. In three years Lubezki has delivered some of the most beautiful looking films of our decade (and I'm not even including The Tree of Life which he worked on in 2011). This man is pure genius and will without a doubt win his third Oscar in a row. I hope the two continue to work together and deliver more visually inspiring films. 

Leonardo DiCaprio deserves all the accolades he's received for his physically demanding performance here. From the very first scene we see him face one obstacle after another as the opening sequence takes place while he is being attacked by a group of indians during a fur trading expedition. It's not much later when the much commented bear mauling scene takes place, but that is only the beginning of his struggles. DiCaprio gives it his all and even though this isn't the best performance of his career, it will finally be the one that gives him the Oscar. Tom Hardy also delivers a fantastic supporting performance as John Fitzgerald, the man who wants to leave him behind. The film ends up feeling like one long chase in a similar way as Mad Max Fury Road, although at a much slower pace. A survival/revenge film like this has never looked so beautiful. The film is a bit too long and it eventually begins to wear down, but it's a constant feast to the eyes despite the exhaustion. 

Birdman (9/10): The technical ambition pays off for Iñarritu and Lubezki.

“You're doing this because you're scared to death, like the rest of us, that you don't matter. And you know what? You're right. You don't. It's not important. You're not important. Get used to it.”

No matter how people feel about this film, there is no denying that Birdman is a technical marvel. Emmanuel Lubezki is one of the best cinematographers in Hollywood and he should continue working and experimenting with his fellow Mexican directors. Birdman is visually astonishing and one of the most unforgettable moviegoing experiences of the year. He blew us away last year when he took us to space in Gravity, and now he astonishes audiences once again by giving us the illusion that the film is taking place entirely in one single shot. From the opening shot, Lubezki is letting us know that we are going to get our heads spun and so he circles around a table with four actors discussing their roles in the play they are about to act in. Birdman is unlike any other film I’ve seen in that sense, where you feel like you are watching actors in a live theater. The audience becomes the camera which follows around these egocentric and troubled actors as they interact with one another. The film has stuck with me and it is one of those rare movies I’d like to experience once again in the theaters. I can’t think of another film that manages to portray the passage of time so well without having to cut from one scene to the next the way Birdman does. 

Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu is better known for his realistic and depressive films focusing on separate characters whose lives intertwine someway or another (Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel). This was quite a fantastic change of tone from his previous and more depressing films. He has crafted one of the best films of the year with groundbreaking editing effects that magically make us believe the film is all a continuous shot. He also uses dark and satirical humor to critique egocentric Hollywood actors, critics, artists, and even audiences who eat up anything they are served as long as there are loud explosions and non-stop action scenes. Iñarritu takes a shot at just about everyone.

Alexander Dinelaris's script was wickedly smart and satirical with some great and memorable dialogues that complement the technical achievements of the film very well. Birdman has a lot to say about our human nature and our desperation to become relevant and important. It is a complete film that deserves all the recognition and awards it has been receiving.

The performances in Birdman also stand out above most films released this year. Michael Keaton is fantastic as Riggan Thomson, a once popular actor who starred in a superhero franchise but hasn’t been able to do anything relevant since. He is known for the character of Birdman, but he wants to prove he is a real artist and not just a washed up celebrity. That is why he is risking everything in a play he is directing, writing, producing, and starring in. His good friend, Jake (Zach Galifianakis) is co-producing the play with him. Lesley (Naomi Watts), Laura (Andrea Riseborough), and Mike (Edward Norton) are the actors he hires for the play, while his daughter Sam (Emma Stone) is working for him as his personal assistant as she tries to recover from her former drug addictions. The supporting cast is excellent in this film, especially Edward Norton and Emma Stone who share several great scenes together along with Michael Keaton. Galifianakis also impresses in a much more serious role than what we are used to seeing him in, but this is still Keaton’s film who displays a wide range of emotions. Birdman has become such an important part of his life that he actually interacts with him in a surreal way. The film balances this magical realism very well and Keaton pulls off the feat of having these inner conversations with himself. The intimate camerawork only enhances these performances even more. 

My Review: Amores Perros (8/10)

"You and your plans. You know what my grandmother used to say? If you want to make God laugh... tell Him your plans."

Amores Perros was Mexican director, Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu's directorial debut, and he really entered with a bang winning several awards for this acclaimed film. Along with the success of Guillermo del Toro (El Espinazo del Diablo) and Alfonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien), these trio of directors began the renaissance movement in Mexico during the beginning of the century. Today they are all directing big budget movies in Hollywood, but it wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for this gem of a movie that put Mexican cinema in the international map again. Gael Garcia Bernal was also a revelation in this film and has become a well known actor after his performance here and in Y Tu Mama Tambien. Having watched Iñarritu's later films, 21 Grams and Babel, I kind of knew what to expect from Amores Perros. He has a way of interconnecting several stories and playing with linear chronological events, and Amores Perros seems to be the film that started this trait. I wish I would've seen this film before the others because this feels like a more complete film, but I have grown a bit tired of the director's stylish and depressing vision of the world. This is still a great film with some powerful scenes, although the movie does suffer from being a little too long (150 minutes) and I thought one of the stories (Valeria and Daniel's) wasn't up to the same level of the other two and I could have done without it. Having said that I still believe this is one of his best films and definitely Mexico's best film. It deserves all the awards it has received and should've won an Oscar for best foreign picture if it didn't have to compete against Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The script from Guillermo Arriaga was also gripping and realistic. In my opinion Iñarritu's best work has been done alongside Arriaga.

The film centers on three interconnected stories that overlap with each other in a terrible car accident. The first story focuses on Octavio (Gael Garcia Bernal) and his sister-in-law Susana (Vanessa Bauche), with whom he's secretly in love. His brother, Ramiro (Marco Perez) treats her terribly, but Octavio promises to take care of her if she runs away with him. In order to make money, Octavio gets involved with dog fighting, since his dog happens to be a great fighter. When one of the dog fights goes wrong, Octavio has to escape from a group of gang leaders that eventually cause the traffic accident. The second story (and my least favorite one) centers on the relationship between a successful model, Valeria (Goya Toledo) and magazine editor named Daniel (Alvaro Guerrero) who has abandoned his family to live with her. And finally the third story introduces us to a bum named El Chivo (Emilio Echeverría) who also works as a contracted killer. All these characters also seem to have special relationships with their dogs. 

As the title suggests dogs do play a very important role in this film, not only because the accident is produced in the first place due to a dog fight, but because Iñarritu compares the violence in dog fights with the brutality and savagery of humanity. There are several themes and layers to this film, but Iñarritu knows his craft and delivers a very brutal and realistic film. Amores Perros is an ambitious movie with several scenes that will stick with you and some powerful performances from Gael Garcia Bernal and Emilio Echeverría. Iñarritu is very familiar with the brutality in human nature and isn't afraid to show the dark side of humanity along with the search for true love. Amores Perros is an emotionally involving movie with a gripping humanistic story, but I think Iñarritu should shift gears for his next movie and focus on another aspect of humanity instead. This film was fresh and innovative, but his tricks have grown old after 21 Grams, Babel, and Biutiful. 

Rating: 8,5/10