Shutter Island
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Shutter Island pits famed directed Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio together again, much like they were with Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and The Departed, which seems to be an intelligent recipe for a successful movie. With Shutter Island being the pairings fourth movie you know exactly what you're in for, a solid performance from DiCaprio and some excellent camera work and story telling from Scorsese.
Kicking off the movie is Teddy (DiCaprio) approaching Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of an inmate. They have called in the big guns of the Marshals to get to the bottom of the mystery. From the get go you're treated to an extravagant world of the mentally and criminally insane. These are the worst of the worst, and in the year of 1954 they had no other place to send them than to this island for "treatment." It's tough to go into great detail without giving too much away but the mood and atmosphere of the film was produced very well. The flashbacks and dream sequences were very eerie and really helped you get inside of the head of the main character. The performances all the way around were exquisite and helped drive the story without uncovering too much.
As the story goes on you learn more and more but are still largely emersed in the story and with the run time of two hours and eighteen minutes you're constantly captivated not wanting to leave your seat for a bathroom or snack break as the twists and turns and foreshadowing come around every turn. You may find a lot of familiar faces popping up on the screen as well, Michelle Williams plays DiCaprio's deceased wife, Ben Kingsly as the resident doctor on the island, Jackie Earl Haley (Human Target, the new Nightmare on Elm Street), as well as a brief appearance from Elias Koteas (Law & Order). Seems as if anyone and everyone wants a chance to work with Scorsese and who can blame them as this story is quite superb. Some criticism has been that there's nothing real new to the types of twists and turns but it still makes for a very well told story and quite possibly the best movie to come out in 2010 thus far.
As the film evolves, and just when you think you have it figured out, something else pops up leading your mind in another direction. As the film reaches for the climax you're still left wondering what is true and what is false. I suppose as some of the initial previews of the film were shown people may have felt this was going to be a horror film but it's definitely a mind blowing thriller. The final scene was quite epic, with one of the better endings a movie could have in my recent memory. The film does a solid job at wrapping everything up but leave audiences leaving the theater still discussing what just transpired for the last 138 minutes which is exactly what a movie should do. It sends you back rethinking initial meetings and events and it really makes a lot of sense. Each little piece of information is well accounted for and I left the theater still somewhat scratching my head but felt completely rewarded and gratified. This is definitely one you can not miss!
Grade: A
Comments
Atascadero, CA
it's hard to go into great detail about the movie without giving away too much and spoiling it. it did drag a little bit towards the beginning but by the end i was completely in a trance trying to figure out what to believe. solid film in my opinion. what did everyone else think?
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Alabama
I'm reading the book now and so far its really good. Should have it done in a few days so I can go see it Friday.
Dallas, TX
I read the book a while ago and when I found out Scorsese was directing this, I gotta say my expectations went through the roof. With that said, I thought the movie was brilliant. It was completely faithful to the book while maintaining Scorsese's signature vision. The acting was phenomenal specially Jackie Earl Haley, which imo stole the entire movie in a single scene. I highly recommend both the novel and the movie.
Drummondville, Quebec
The movie truly is amazing. The "what's true and what's false" aspect of the movie still haunts me a little bit. I had huge expectations for that movie and I wasn't let down at all.
Jersey / Raleigh
im still not sure about this. I saw it yesterday, but I need it to bounce around in my head for a little bit. I will say that the film was shot superbly and the dream sequences were tastefully done. I had my guard up for most of the movie though, and honestly saw alot of it coming, some of that has to do with movie trailers.
Atascadero, CA
yea Jackie Earl Haley was amazing, I told my mom that I thought that was him when he found him in his cell but had to re-check online cuz makeup did a good job.
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Washington, DC
I thought it was great, but I was a little bummed that at the end they absolutely clarified whether he was crazy or not. I think the movie would have been more rich had it just been left ambiguous.
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Boston, MA
It wasn't a bad movie but I definitely left with a feeling of disappointment. Part of it was, as you stated, because I was expecting a horror movie which it certainly wasn't. The ending also wasn't the Fight Club-esque showstopper I was hoping for after all that build either.
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Atascadero, CA
***SPOILER ALERT*** the ending was still a bit mysterious though, i mean the closing scene.. ***SPOILER ALERT*** was he just acting back in character again because he wanted to die or did he really just revert back again after realizing who he was
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Dallas, TX
The ending of the book was a bit more ambiguous than the movie, this is really the only difference between the two and I gotta say I kind of do prefer the book, although I can see why the movie ending works better in that medium (something about the average movie audience wanting a definite answer).
*********************
***SPOILER ALERT*** Aaron, this is where the movie differs, when Teddy noticed the icepick he said something along the lines of "this place makes me wonder whether its better to die a good man or live as a monster" and then he proceeds to calmly walk along with Cawley and the orderlies. This to me strongly suggests that he knew exactly what was going on and he just wanted to die rather than to live with the burden, although I do agree the whole scene still carries an air of ambiguity.
Atascadero, CA
okay this is what i thought also, which is why when he calls him "Teddy" he doesnt respond like he has accepted his fate.
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Jersey / Raleigh
Spokane, Washington
absolutely loved it! i was reading some of the forum posts on IMDB and there were people saying that they hadn't read the book and knew 15 minutes into the movie what was going to happen...i call bullshit on that.
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Boston, MA
*SPOILER ALERT* I believe it. There were some big clues right from the start. First was the terrible acting in the opening scene. When I saw the opening scene, I kept thinking to myself 'the acting seems really shitty for a Scorcese film.' Then you realize it was done on purpose because they were just some people acting out the part in his fantasy. Also at the beginning, the marshal was fumbling with his gun holster as if he had never taken it off. Lastly, he made a statement early in the film that was something along the lines of 'It wasn't the fire that killed her; that's important."
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Alabama
Book>Movie. Although it was a top-notch film.
Wisconsin
i don't think it's really possible to figure out the movie that quick.
spoiler
i figured out he was 67 right away, but that's about it. i didn't really add everything up together. however, i was confused as to why they were offering him cigs left and right.
West Haven, CT
I went into this movie thinking..Which is a bad idea. My first guess just straight out of nowhere was that he was either going to turn into a patient or that he was one. Pretty awesome movie though. I enjoy movies more when I throw away all ideas of what could be. Which is why Oldboy is the best movie ever.
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PA
Pretty sure the ending he really didn't "reset" and just couldn't live with the fact of why he is there and the guilt of him not helping his wife so was basically committing suicide at the end. Right?
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NJ
correct. He intentionally acts that way so they will lobotomize him. The last line of the movie is evidence for this and a brilliant little twist hidden in the bigger more obvious twist of him being a patient the whole time
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