Went to see The Revenant at the pictures starring Oscar-winning Leonardo DiCaprio playing frontiersman Hugh Glass in 1823, in some very wild and very cold bits of the USA.
A good film, but not a great film. And boy, wasn’t it bloody! Leonardo had an easy time because there were not many lines to remember. However, he did have to do a lot of grimacing, grunting and howling in pain.
We learned a few handy tips about surviving in the wild (Hint: stay away from the Native Americans and the Frenchmen – oh, and your colleagues too!) Also some herbal medicine techniques. These included the usual herbs and stuff, but also packing your wounds with gunpowder and setting fire to it. 
The famous scene of Leonardo being attacked by a big grizzly bear was scary and gruesome. The bear was very handsome and it was a shame she got killed. But if she’d won, the film would have been much shorter. Hmm, that’s not a bad idea . . .
One the other hand, Brooklyn was a lovely film. We’d both read the book, but still enjoyed the screen version. A powerful drama, just a bit love story at moments. But the real power was in the telling of the expatriate experience – the competing emotional ties to new friends and to the family left behind.
(PS: Jan thought I meant the bear should have won the fight and the Oscar.)
At Heathrow, just finished Brooklyn. Concur. I will see the movie.
Spotlight highly recommended. The Martian good entertainment.