A lot can happen in 1 year 9 months 28 days which is how old this post is! Enjoy the post but be sure to check out the new stuff too!!Where the hell were the ghosts, the demons, the spirits, the bogey man or Celine Dion* in Shutter Island?!
Admittedly I didn’t know anything about the film and only sat down to see it because Tracey really wanted to watch it but for some reason I had the impression that the film was spooky in an X-Files kind of way and the film totally isn’t!
But I’m not the only one, a couple of people mentioned the same impressions to me and were confused by the film when there wasn’t any supernatural terror. Frankly I was fine without the terror because ultimately I really enjoyed the movie but still I don’t know where I got the idea that this was a horror movie rather than a psychological thriller type film.
I haven’t read the book and I’m told that it is a really good read though no one has said yet if it is better than the movie or not. I’m kind of happy though that I didn’t know the story because I suspect it enhances the movie when you don’t know where it is all going.
That being said I did work it all out fairly early on, well the general gist anyway but I wonder if that wasn’t always the intention because the way that the ending does unfold is very entertaining to watch and includes enough details for those who cottoned on early to still find some revelation. Which is your ultimate pay-off in a film like this, despite the excellent performances and wonderful direction if the ending hadn’t delivered as it did then one would feel robbed and the fact that there are major points that can be discussed around a cup of coffee or two in a cosy cafe afterwards only helps!
The performances are really solid in this, mad scientists, noir detectives and scary inmates all serving their roles within the story. I’ve never been a huge fan of Leonardo Di Caprio and have felt that he suffers from an eternal youth perception that had similar sufferer Michael J Fox playing 16 year olds well into his 30s. But in Shutter Island I didn’t get that with Di Caprio and I think maybe he’s crossed that threshold where I can see him and appreciate him as a serious actor, I think he’s probably earned it with the roles he’s done over the years.
I also love the look and feel of the film and I think if you were ever to produce an Arkam Asylum (Batman) film then it is this canvas that would be perfect to replicate.
Rating: 
*Do you see what I did there? I’m suggesting Celine Dion scares me and I made the connection to Leonardo Di Caprio’s big film Titanic. She doesn’t really scare me… much.
Hangin’ to see this one -- well, hoping the feral child might fall asleep some time before 2am one night to let his parents watch something that won’t get interrupted! -- and “yay” for the lack of Celine.
A little Celine goes a looooong way.
You should check out Jayne´s last post… Historic blatherings around the traps
I’m happy to recommend -- this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and it won’t set the world alight but it’s a good way to spend an hour or two
Saw it quite a long time back, and was genuinely surprised by how good it turned out to be. Like you, I have never been a big fan of DiCaprio . But over the years, he has made some really smart choices -- Catch Me If You Can, Blood Diamond, Gangs of New York, and now this. Of course, with Inception he has established himself as the front man.
What I loved about Shutter Island is that it left me with the option to still suspense my logic and reasoning and try to believe in what DiCaprio’s character saw.
Arkham Asylum in such a backdrop would be lethal..absolute madness.
I really liked the noir setting, and all the purposely badly done (imo) green screen in the car chases
You should check out Sujoy´s last post… Movie Review- Predators
That’s what I mean about Di Caprio, his movie choices have been top notch so I don’t know why I disliked him so. We’re watching The Beach soon as we’ve never seen it before and because we’ve warmed up to him.
I agree with your thoughts on the film itself though, it was an enjoyable watch but without blowing me away.
Haven’t seen the movie, but read the book. I enjoyed the book, it was a page turner but to me the ending was a let down because I had thought of it, then rejected it as too predictable partway through the book. Still a good read though and I will probably check out the movie eventually.
You should check out candace´s last post… What’s New Garden Cats
Everyone I know who has read the book has nothing but great things to say about it and so far I haven’t run into anyone who thinks the movie doesn’t do the book justice which is good.
I had the same experience as you with the movie storyline, completely picked what was going to happen (to a degree) but then I enjoyed how it revealed itself and the lingering questions at the end of the movie.