All I know is it's a mental hospital.*
I watched Shutter Island today. Well, I also woke up feeling like shite because the universe decided I can has cold, which meant I then lay around in bed feeling spectacularly lousy. I also went and talked to the ski-trip organizers for my university about the lack of info, to which they replied, "We is writing email! You can has info!"
But the real point of the day was Shutter Island. Y'all might remember my prediction after watching the trailer and how I swore to froth at the mouth and break things if I was right. Well, guess what? I was right. I fucking hate that I was right.
Firstly, I couldn't enjoy the movie, especially the beginning, because I was focused on keeping tabs of the little details, trying to figure out if there was foreshadowing of the DO NOT WANT variety. Part of this meant that I paid close attention to what Ben Kingsley's character said about crazy folk as well as the story behind the missing Rachel. But this also meant that I kept staring at Mark Ruffalo's character, expecting him to pull a Sixth Sense and not exist outside of Leonardo DiCaprio's character's head (i.e. Teddy). I mean, for gods' sake, the man spends half the movie (See: scene in large tunnel to Ward C) just asking questions - rhetorical questions - as if he were Teddy's conscience, which, haha.
Secondly, once the big plot twist ending was shaken out for all to see, I couldn't enjoy the movie then because I'd been right, goddamnit, and it was all in Teddy's head and he really was crazy. I get why the story went that way - I mean, if it'd been a pure missing-woman thing followed by experiments-on-crazy-people-conspiracy it... Actually, it would've been fine. It would've been straightforward, but then the plot twist was also straightforward and expected, for those with a bit of experience in how stories work. I mean, it's the traditional plot twist where your character's doubting everything and everyone and there's conspiracy theories everywhere, where the plot whips around and goes, "No, it's you!"
But the thing is, I really hate plot twists like that, because they completely negate the entire story. The twists that sucker punch you at the end going, "It was all a dream!" push my "Argh, die!" button so hard, because I went through that - the character went through that - for nothing.
I'm not coherent enough to rant adequately about why I was so disappointed at having correctly guessed the plot twist, and at the plot twist itself. But even if you weren't like me and figured it out from one or two lines in the bloody trailer ("Who is 67?" "There are a total of, what, 66 patients at this facility?"), there were clues. The water theme, Rachel's murder, Teddy's phantom wife... The clues all worked together against Teddy in exactly the same as the "Remember Sammy Jenkins" story did in Memento, with the whole story being laid out to the viewer with one small name change. And the final reveal, of course, is very Memento: Teddy is the Sammy Jenkins of this story, is the one responsible for the murder of his wife, is the one his revenge should have been directed at, instead of some ficticious man.
In general, though, the film was all right - not mind-blowing, but an enjoyable viewing. The World War 2 flashbacks were a nice surprise, and the hallucinations were really quite gorgeously done. The music was a bit "Dun dun DUUUUUN" obvious and at times even annoying, but not bad regardless. So yeah, I liked the movie, and enjoyed every bit of it even with the plot twist ruined, and would very much like to read the book. (I have a thing for abnormal psychology.)
Leonardo DiCaprio was lovely in his role, but left my jaw firmly un-dropped. Mark Ruffalo did, I suppose, what he could with his rather unresponsive character who'se sole role was to ask poignant psychological questions. Ben Kingley was Ben Kingsley and as such smooth as butter on hot toast. The crazy folk were, well, crazy, but nothing was really done with them apart from pointing and shouting, "Look! Disheveled! Muttering! Half-clothed! Obviously criminally insane and violent!" Although I must say, the rather sane lady who killed her philandering and abusive husband with an axe was awesome and adorable and I wanted to squish her and invite her over for tea. I loved how she got noticeably distressed at Teddy's more piercing questions, and when she was obviously lying.
And finally, Jackie Earle Haley's scene. First off, there is a lot of exposition and backstory and just mass amounts of plotty things said in that scene that had me reeling at the end of it. Secondly, I might have to call the movie theatre to check under the seats, because I'm sure my rocked-off socks are there, along with my dropped jaw. Holy acting, Batman! I mean, sure, I missed a few words because I couldn't understand what the hell he was saying (but then being as beat up as he was, I'm not going to hold a lack of enunciation against him), but that was one crazy and upset character. My favorite bit was when he was just sitting in his little corner, being all cryptic and "Oh hai I hate this place", and especially the "You're match is going out," bit because he wasn't even looking at the match. But then the casual crazy happened, which was great, and the "Did I mention I hate this place?!?" crazy - Oh wow, this is why Guerrero hates prison, dudes: the first time he was behind bars was harsh (and yes, the fandoms bleed together like a pig onna stick). I was just the happiest little duckling in the theatre during that whole scene.
Also, I oogled. I'm sorry, I had to. I mean, the screen just handed me these complementary tickets to the gun show! What was I supposed to do? So I said, "Thanks very much" and oogled.
Oh, one last thing: I'm utterly convinced that Teddy wasn't crazy in the last scene, but rather chose psychological suicide by icepick. I mean, the guy said he couldn't live with the knowledge of what he'd done, and what his wife had done. He tried insanity, but they dragged him out of it. Next recourse? Suicide, brain-pudding style.
ETA: DiCaprio speaks some German in the film! My reaction was \o/ Can we have more of that, please?
ETA2: Teddy's bandaid on his temple was also really distracting. I kept expecting part of the major reveal and plot twist to at least mention the bandaid, because it was so prominent and constant. I mean, the little strip just wouldn't die and hung on after two whole days, a shower, scuffle and a huricane. That's one tough little bandaid. But no, nothing was said, and it wasn't even hiding some electroshock screw hole, just a scratch. I was disappointed.
Links of the Day:
Lost
ack_attack's Sundown Afterparty ; Mini-Recap & Discussion Post for Sundown; Lighthouse Afterparty ; Lighthouse Greatest Hits ; Mini-Recap & Discussion Post for The Lighthouse ; Recap 6×05: The Lighthouse ; The Substitute Afterparty ; The Substitute Greatest Hits ; Mini-Recap & Discussion Post for The Substitute ; Recap 6×04: The Substitute ; Lost Photoshop Contest: Winners! ; Other recappers: Jeff Jensen is Grand Poobah of Lost Fans ; Entertainment Weekly Matthew Fox Photos ; Entertainment Weekly Scans ; Terry O’Quinn and Michael Emerson Should Just Work Together Forever - "Terry O’Quinn is apparently shopping around a pitch for a “TNT-type show” in which he and Michael Emerson play suburban hit men juggling family issues." ; Esquire's article: Roger Ebert: The Essential Man ; In 1992 Michael Emerson was in a prison training video
prettybutt's Evangeline Lily and Matthew Fox Picspam and Quotes
mojotastics's Rabbt Heart (A Lost/Florence + The Machine Song Picspam)
crazy_pills's Ben Linus and Team Ben Icons
cleolinda's Lighthouse Discussion Post
isis2015's Fic The Black King and the White Queen (Part 11/14) (Ben/Sun)
usedshoes's Icons
tellshannon815's Fic And Wonder When The Choices Got Made We Don't Remember Making (Charles Widmore, Eloise, Ben)
forgethetime's All Of Us Are Lost Trailer Picspam
rytalias's Icons
devilz_haircut's Icons
equaspam23's PUSH THE DAMN BUTTON! A Lost Retrospective Picspam: Season 2
russian_hotness's Icons - Includes NCIS
library_of_sex's Cry Me A River: A (Mostly) Jearless Picspam ; Ben Picpsam The Shape of Things To Come: Eyes of Crazy Edition
twistedmind's Icons
janie_tangerine's Icons (Richard)
laballerine's Icons
weatheredlaw's Ben Linus Mood Theme
henrygalelovers's Ben Linus LAX & The Substitute Picspam ; 6X04 The Substitute Discussion ; Dr Linus Speculation Discussion ; General Discussion Questions
divkas_constant's Icons The Substitute ; LAX
wicked_signs's Icons ; Icons ; Icons
* Shutter Island
But the real point of the day was Shutter Island. Y'all might remember my prediction after watching the trailer and how I swore to froth at the mouth and break things if I was right. Well, guess what? I was right. I fucking hate that I was right.
Firstly, I couldn't enjoy the movie, especially the beginning, because I was focused on keeping tabs of the little details, trying to figure out if there was foreshadowing of the DO NOT WANT variety. Part of this meant that I paid close attention to what Ben Kingsley's character said about crazy folk as well as the story behind the missing Rachel. But this also meant that I kept staring at Mark Ruffalo's character, expecting him to pull a Sixth Sense and not exist outside of Leonardo DiCaprio's character's head (i.e. Teddy). I mean, for gods' sake, the man spends half the movie (See: scene in large tunnel to Ward C) just asking questions - rhetorical questions - as if he were Teddy's conscience, which, haha.
Secondly, once the big plot twist ending was shaken out for all to see, I couldn't enjoy the movie then because I'd been right, goddamnit, and it was all in Teddy's head and he really was crazy. I get why the story went that way - I mean, if it'd been a pure missing-woman thing followed by experiments-on-crazy-people-conspiracy it... Actually, it would've been fine. It would've been straightforward, but then the plot twist was also straightforward and expected, for those with a bit of experience in how stories work. I mean, it's the traditional plot twist where your character's doubting everything and everyone and there's conspiracy theories everywhere, where the plot whips around and goes, "No, it's you!"
But the thing is, I really hate plot twists like that, because they completely negate the entire story. The twists that sucker punch you at the end going, "It was all a dream!" push my "Argh, die!" button so hard, because I went through that - the character went through that - for nothing.
I'm not coherent enough to rant adequately about why I was so disappointed at having correctly guessed the plot twist, and at the plot twist itself. But even if you weren't like me and figured it out from one or two lines in the bloody trailer ("Who is 67?" "There are a total of, what, 66 patients at this facility?"), there were clues. The water theme, Rachel's murder, Teddy's phantom wife... The clues all worked together against Teddy in exactly the same as the "Remember Sammy Jenkins" story did in Memento, with the whole story being laid out to the viewer with one small name change. And the final reveal, of course, is very Memento: Teddy is the Sammy Jenkins of this story, is the one responsible for the murder of his wife, is the one his revenge should have been directed at, instead of some ficticious man.
In general, though, the film was all right - not mind-blowing, but an enjoyable viewing. The World War 2 flashbacks were a nice surprise, and the hallucinations were really quite gorgeously done. The music was a bit "Dun dun DUUUUUN" obvious and at times even annoying, but not bad regardless. So yeah, I liked the movie, and enjoyed every bit of it even with the plot twist ruined, and would very much like to read the book. (I have a thing for abnormal psychology.)
Leonardo DiCaprio was lovely in his role, but left my jaw firmly un-dropped. Mark Ruffalo did, I suppose, what he could with his rather unresponsive character who'se sole role was to ask poignant psychological questions. Ben Kingley was Ben Kingsley and as such smooth as butter on hot toast. The crazy folk were, well, crazy, but nothing was really done with them apart from pointing and shouting, "Look! Disheveled! Muttering! Half-clothed! Obviously criminally insane and violent!" Although I must say, the rather sane lady who killed her philandering and abusive husband with an axe was awesome and adorable and I wanted to squish her and invite her over for tea. I loved how she got noticeably distressed at Teddy's more piercing questions, and when she was obviously lying.
And finally, Jackie Earle Haley's scene. First off, there is a lot of exposition and backstory and just mass amounts of plotty things said in that scene that had me reeling at the end of it. Secondly, I might have to call the movie theatre to check under the seats, because I'm sure my rocked-off socks are there, along with my dropped jaw. Holy acting, Batman! I mean, sure, I missed a few words because I couldn't understand what the hell he was saying (but then being as beat up as he was, I'm not going to hold a lack of enunciation against him), but that was one crazy and upset character. My favorite bit was when he was just sitting in his little corner, being all cryptic and "Oh hai I hate this place", and especially the "You're match is going out," bit because he wasn't even looking at the match. But then the casual crazy happened, which was great, and the "Did I mention I hate this place?!?" crazy - Oh wow, this is why Guerrero hates prison, dudes: the first time he was behind bars was harsh (and yes, the fandoms bleed together like a pig onna stick). I was just the happiest little duckling in the theatre during that whole scene.
Also, I oogled. I'm sorry, I had to. I mean, the screen just handed me these complementary tickets to the gun show! What was I supposed to do? So I said, "Thanks very much" and oogled.
Oh, one last thing: I'm utterly convinced that Teddy wasn't crazy in the last scene, but rather chose psychological suicide by icepick. I mean, the guy said he couldn't live with the knowledge of what he'd done, and what his wife had done. He tried insanity, but they dragged him out of it. Next recourse? Suicide, brain-pudding style.
ETA: DiCaprio speaks some German in the film! My reaction was \o/ Can we have more of that, please?
ETA2: Teddy's bandaid on his temple was also really distracting. I kept expecting part of the major reveal and plot twist to at least mention the bandaid, because it was so prominent and constant. I mean, the little strip just wouldn't die and hung on after two whole days, a shower, scuffle and a huricane. That's one tough little bandaid. But no, nothing was said, and it wasn't even hiding some electroshock screw hole, just a scratch. I was disappointed.
Links of the Day:
Lost
ack_attack's Sundown Afterparty ; Mini-Recap & Discussion Post for Sundown; Lighthouse Afterparty ; Lighthouse Greatest Hits ; Mini-Recap & Discussion Post for The Lighthouse ; Recap 6×05: The Lighthouse ; The Substitute Afterparty ; The Substitute Greatest Hits ; Mini-Recap & Discussion Post for The Substitute ; Recap 6×04: The Substitute ; Lost Photoshop Contest: Winners! ; Other recappers: Jeff Jensen is Grand Poobah of Lost Fans ; Entertainment Weekly Matthew Fox Photos ; Entertainment Weekly Scans ; Terry O’Quinn and Michael Emerson Should Just Work Together Forever - "Terry O’Quinn is apparently shopping around a pitch for a “TNT-type show” in which he and Michael Emerson play suburban hit men juggling family issues." ; Esquire's article: Roger Ebert: The Essential Man ; In 1992 Michael Emerson was in a prison training video
prettybutt's Evangeline Lily and Matthew Fox Picspam and Quotes
mojotastics's Rabbt Heart (A Lost/Florence + The Machine Song Picspam)
crazy_pills's Ben Linus and Team Ben Icons
cleolinda's Lighthouse Discussion Post
isis2015's Fic The Black King and the White Queen (Part 11/14) (Ben/Sun)
usedshoes's Icons
tellshannon815's Fic And Wonder When The Choices Got Made We Don't Remember Making (Charles Widmore, Eloise, Ben)
forgethetime's All Of Us Are Lost Trailer Picspam
rytalias's Icons
devilz_haircut's Icons
equaspam23's PUSH THE DAMN BUTTON! A Lost Retrospective Picspam: Season 2
russian_hotness's Icons - Includes NCIS
library_of_sex's Cry Me A River: A (Mostly) Jearless Picspam ; Ben Picpsam The Shape of Things To Come: Eyes of Crazy Edition
twistedmind's Icons
janie_tangerine's Icons (Richard)
laballerine's Icons
weatheredlaw's Ben Linus Mood Theme
henrygalelovers's Ben Linus LAX & The Substitute Picspam ; 6X04 The Substitute Discussion ; Dr Linus Speculation Discussion ; General Discussion Questions
divkas_constant's Icons The Substitute ; LAX
wicked_signs's Icons ; Icons ; Icons
* Shutter Island