Movie Review: Shutter Island
It's hard to say anything about this movie without giving away too much. I was spoiled for the movie going in, which wasn't bad because it was still so fascinating. So, some general things:
1. The cinematography was lovely. Scorsese is a legend and he's in top form here. The vibe is creepy, brooding and very film noir but not gimmicky.
2. I disagree with a lot of reviewers who have criticized Leonardo DiCaprio's acting in this film as too plodding. I actually think it's pitch perfect. For a lot of the movie Leo is a man on a mission but his face hides his inner turmoil and his body language is tense and coiled the whole way through. There is a brittleness to his character that he reflects throughout the movie without tipping his hand to the audience. It is really lovely and understated.
3. A lot of people say that the ending comes out of nowhere but I think that if they watch it back they will realize that there is plenty of foreshadowing for it (and even some gallows humor). As I said, I had the ending spoiled by a reviewer but even knowing the ending doesn't ruin the movie (as say knowing the ending of 'Unbreakable' makes the movie not worth watching.) This movie is like 'The Sixth Sense' + 10. After you watch it you want to watch it again to see what you missed. But unlike 'The Sixth Sense', upon a second watching the ending is not going to feel like a trick. There is a profound depth to the writing in this movie that is missing in 'The Sixth Sense' and indeed in many of the movies I've seen lately. What a refreshing change to actually have to listen to all of the dialogue and know that not one word is wasted!
4. The last few seconds of the movie broke my heart. Just...wow.
That's about all I can say without talking about the plot. I will definitely have to watch this movie a few more times to really get everything out of it.
Final verdict: 5/5 See it at the theater.
1. The cinematography was lovely. Scorsese is a legend and he's in top form here. The vibe is creepy, brooding and very film noir but not gimmicky.
2. I disagree with a lot of reviewers who have criticized Leonardo DiCaprio's acting in this film as too plodding. I actually think it's pitch perfect. For a lot of the movie Leo is a man on a mission but his face hides his inner turmoil and his body language is tense and coiled the whole way through. There is a brittleness to his character that he reflects throughout the movie without tipping his hand to the audience. It is really lovely and understated.
3. A lot of people say that the ending comes out of nowhere but I think that if they watch it back they will realize that there is plenty of foreshadowing for it (and even some gallows humor). As I said, I had the ending spoiled by a reviewer but even knowing the ending doesn't ruin the movie (as say knowing the ending of 'Unbreakable' makes the movie not worth watching.) This movie is like 'The Sixth Sense' + 10. After you watch it you want to watch it again to see what you missed. But unlike 'The Sixth Sense', upon a second watching the ending is not going to feel like a trick. There is a profound depth to the writing in this movie that is missing in 'The Sixth Sense' and indeed in many of the movies I've seen lately. What a refreshing change to actually have to listen to all of the dialogue and know that not one word is wasted!
4. The last few seconds of the movie broke my heart. Just...wow.
That's about all I can say without talking about the plot. I will definitely have to watch this movie a few more times to really get everything out of it.
Final verdict: 5/5 See it at the theater.