“The Game of Thrones” Look
If stoically braving the elements for months on end qualified someone for an acting award, then half the state of Minnesota — at least in a typical winter — should be up for an Oscar. 🙂
But, assuming that such suffering only counts when it’s in the service of art, and the sufferer is a famous Hollywood actor (with lots of help from stand-in’s, stunt men, etc.), then my pick for the 2016 Best Acting Oscar is Leonardo DiCaprio, for his portrayal of 19th century trapper Hugh Glass in “The Revenant.”
Far From “[The Wolf of] Wall Street”
In the 2 1/2 hour epic, a game DiCaprio wades through frozen rivers; hurtles off cliffs (he fares better than his horse); eats raw buffalo liver, with predictable results (throwing up proves to be in character for his malnourished, convalescing character); and generally is exposed to more wind, cold, and elements than even a brutal Minnesota winter offers up (the movie was filmed on location in British Columbia and Argentina, with the shoot reportedly lasting almost a year).
The overall effect is to give the movie a Dr. Zhivago-like sweep, courtesy of 21st century Hollywood and Spanish director Alejandro Iñárritu.
P.S.: What looked like a CGI avalanche was the real thing, triggered by a helicopter just over the horizon.
Also: for the benefit of non-Minnesotans, the preferred winter attire locally — at least for those who have the $$$ — is a Canada Goose parka, not a bearskin.
Four-wheel drives, “smart wool” socks and long underwear, and attached, heated garages also help.
