2015
I'll have to admit the two main reasons why I saw the film in the first place. The first being that Dir. Iñárritu made me a huge fan with his masterpiece "Birdman." The second being that DiCaprio finally landed his oscar with this film. I cannot stress the exquisite beauty Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki captured with this film. He is is also the D.P. for Birdman, Gravity, and Children of Men. I love the direction of the film and none of the the sort of flashbacks alluding to Hugh's dismay disconnected me from the story. Leonardo DiCaprio did an excellent job capturing the character so well even though the novel's highly detailed descriptions delve to a human psychology unimaginable to those who never hiked once in the wilderness. The struggle and the conflict build up between Fitzgerald and Hugh certainly intensified to a point where I believed Tom Hardy and Leonardo Dicaprio were really fighting. The musical score, and unbelievable visuals is sure to keep any cinephiles suspended in disbelief.
Do I think the film has a well deserved following? Absolutely! This film has a clear defined purpose and it resonates with the cast and crew.