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RE: Shutter Island

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RE: Shutter Island - 23/3/2010 11:53:00 PM   
Krypto

 

Posts: 2
Joined: 7/4/2008
There are some great reviews here, meaning I don't have an original thought in my head. Suffice to say I loved Shutter Island; it was thoroughly entertaining, made with Scorsese's typical blend of craft and style. The acting was excellent throughout and even the apparently OTT music, especially as Teddy arrived at the asylum, served a purpose, chiming with his overblown emotions.The final scene was a great conversation starter . . .

... and boy, does Mark Ruffalo look great in a three-piece tweed suit.

Kim wrote: Shutter Island, from the novel by Dennis Lehane, is the nearest thing to a horror film Scorsese has made since Cape Fear. Its story of criminal investigation turns in on itself as the detective hero suffers from contradictory flashbacks – which run to very nasty WWII experiences during the liberation of a concentration camp and a bad marriage which came to a gruesome end on the shore of what looks like Crystal Lake from the Friday the 13th films -- and drug-induced hallucinations.

Well, I think Kim's wrong in his Kermodian review to refer to the Second World War scenes and lakeside deaths as contradictory flashbacks. Firstly, they're not differing versions of the same event; secondly, the lake scene comes after we viewers, and Teddy, gain such a differing perspective on his past as to make comparisons irrelevant. And 'bad marriage'? Only in what happened, surely.

And Michelle Williams needs her surname fixing in the main review run - she ain't no Mama Phillips.

A question - did I miss the reason for Leo's head plaster? I was constantly expecting it to be torn off, to reveal lobotomy marks. Maybe there was no reason, but if there's a plaster in the first act, etc . . .

< Message edited by Krypto -- 24/3/2010 1:24:32 AM >

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Post #: 91
RE: Shutter Island - 24/3/2010 7:43:43 AM   
grucl

 

Posts: 2433
Joined: 11/2/2008
quote:

ORIGINAL: Krypto
A question - did I miss the reason for Leo's head plaster? I was constantly expecting it to be torn off, to reveal lobotomy marks. Maybe there was no reason, but if there's a plaster in the first act, etc . . .


A lobotomy is usually done through the eye socket, not through the skull itself.

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Post #: 92
Shutter Island - Awesome - 25/3/2010 2:38:20 PM   
TrainOfThought

 

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From: Earth...somewhere in space
 I went to see this film last night, and it was awesome.

RE: Spoilers!!! Spoilers !!!- I'm talking about the plot in the next line, so if you haven't seen it yet, look away now!!!

I liked the fact that even when they had persuaded the main character that he was mad, there was still a massive question mark, because ultimately there was no proof either way.

I also liked the final line, is it best to “Die a good man, or live as a monster”. I'v not read the book so I don't know what the author actually meant by that, but it appeared really ambiguous. He could be referring to the events that played out earlier in the film, or he could be referring to the actions of the main character after the book/film has ended. I.e, he is currently a good man, but he may have to to become a monster to escape, i.e kill his way off the island.

Even if what I just said is complete rubbish, its still an ambiguous ending, which I thought made the film even better,

DiCaprio and Scorsese are awesome together, like usual.

< Message edited by TrainOfThought -- 25/3/2010 3:06:23 PM >

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Post #: 93
Nutter Island - 26/3/2010 8:08:07 AM   
The Whisper

 

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The problem with auteurs making genre movies is that they're usually not as good as genre movie makers (Kubrick being an exception.) Scorsese lost his bearings at Cape Fear somewhat, but positively reefs himself on Shutter Island. What could have been an atmospheric psycho-thriller along the lines of Hammer's non Dracula/Frankenstein output like Scream of Fear or Fear in the Night is instead bloated and self-concious, looking for depths that really aren't there, and struggling hard to be suspenseful under the weight of that age-old narrative clunker 'It's only a dream.'

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Post #: 94
HMMMPH....... - 26/3/2010 6:04:31 PM   
ROTGUT

 

Posts: 291
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An A list budget, an A list director, actors, script, direction... etc... etc.......
so why is this film so disappointing? I think there's a cracking good B movie struggling to get out of all the stuffy film snobbery on display here. Scorcese's direction is merely competent and Di Caprio still looks like a frikkin teenager no matter how much scowling he does to make us believe otherwise. Sam Raimi would have had a ball making something like this. Despite all the gloomy majesty and the performances, Shutter Island lacks heart and verve, the sort of cinematic bravaura that Alfred Hitchcock had in spades. I'd rather watch Cape Fear again! Two Stars....

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Post #: 95
RE: HMMMPH....... - 28/3/2010 12:35:28 AM   
tommyjarvis


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 **** Mild Spoilers ****

I could have sworn that when DiCaprio first finds Laeddis by the fireplace, Laeddis was played by De Niro. Anyone else think this?

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Post #: 96
RE: HMMMPH....... - 28/3/2010 7:27:58 AM   
demoncleaner


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quote:

ORIGINAL: tommyjarvis

**** Mild Spoilers ****

I could have sworn that when DiCaprio first finds Laeddis by the fireplace, Laeddis was played by De Niro. Anyone else think this?


You mean....De Niro....by way of Ken Brannagh's Frankenstein????? Lovely thought. But it's Elias Koteas, innit? Who is a more than admirable character actor in his own right.  He's noble in the Thin Red Line and check out his 2 turns in great-mate David Fincher's last two films.

I saw Shutter Island for the second time last Sunday.  There's other films I want to see.  But I'm afraid I have to see Shutter Island one more time before I'll realistically give other films the attention they deserve.  It's a big bag of gothic disco-fudge for punters like me who get off on Name Of The Rose and Batman: Arkham Asylum.  And before anyone get's into one of those "style over substance" sneers I think Di Caprio's commitment to grief in its most abject, ninth-circle-of-hell is very grounding.  And yes...very moving. 

Anyone that tells you that they guessed it is a cunt. (God made such a small word because even He knew some people aren't worth anything more).  All they're responding to is a verrrrry broad referenda mid-way through of: - when asked - who is patient 67?

The point is!  The intent of Dr Cawley, Naehring, McPherson and Sheehan!  That's what's up for auction...are they benign or malevolent?  And I think that goes right down to the wire.  Nut-job Teddy or no.  If you guessed it then you're a better man than I.  And, if you're more imaginative, it then becomes a Patrick McGoohan Prisoner gambit of WHY he's the prisoner.  If you're still bored by it then you're a cunt.    

But don't let anyone (in the real world) talk to you about plot. Shutter Island is about a Master Director rinsing the toy-box.  And, oh, I almost forgot. A great actor giving his fooooking utmost.

Remember that.  Don't let anyone be snide to you about this film.  Next one that tries, lean forward with a wry grin; and a wink if you can afford it -  quietly ask fuck-head cynic how far he think's he'll get without you biting on his fucking eye-ball.    

I won't tell. 

It's just you and me afterall.

They'll never find us out Chuck.

< Message edited by demoncleaner -- 28/3/2010 7:56:54 AM >

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Post #: 97
RE: HMMMPH....... - 28/3/2010 11:28:05 AM   
Edward Nygma


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I pretty much agree with you demoncleaner although I wouldn't have put it quite such poetic words lol

I don't understand the mixed reviews Shutter Island has received: it's amazing! For me, it's easily the first 5 star film of this year.

I think even if you guess one or two things it's all about the combination of everything which I think is pretty hard to guess. Shutter Island is very surreal and I for one was putting little pieces back together long after the credits rolled. Might see it again before it leaves the cinema.

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Post #: 98
RE: Another Newman review, another spoiler - 28/3/2010 7:35:53 PM   
Axel Foley


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Driver 8

I know there's a thread about this in feedback already, but seriously. I will now actively have to check reviews for Mr. Newman's signature, for fear of spoilers (it's in the second paragraph, by the way, for those who wish to avoid it).

(The rating is an expression of dissatisfaction with the review, not the film)

I am glad I read this thread before reading the Empire review, as having finally seen the film today and gonme back to read the review it seems Mr Newman did his utmost to cram the entire plot into that paragraph. I thought a more or less wholesale reciting of plot details was a no no for any respectable film review?

Anyway many thanks to Driver 8 for the warning.

And of the film. Well Scorsese clearly had a ball making it, referencing all his favourite b-pictures, but bolting the pastiche onto a quite superb turn from DiCaprio as the angst-ridden, migraine suffering, paranoid, borderline loon US Marshall Teddy Daniels.

Star and director are able to create tension and fear from seemingly simplistic set-ups: to wit DiCaprio brow etched with tension, scribbling furiously with a pencil as he interrogates a Shutter Island patient, the strokes become more and and more frenzied until the unfortunate soul cracks. And with one camera move a cigarette over a ledge is turnned into an ominous signal.

There are moments where the homage almost becomes parody, but on the whole the film is a fine follow up to the Oscar winning The Departed. In fact, it seems that perhaps that success released some pressure that had perhaps been building on Scorses and allowed him to unleash something unshamedly entertertaining. I'd say this was the work of a director prepared to throw everything into the mix to elicit a chill or missed heartbeat and then some.

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Post #: 99
RE: Shutter Island - Awesome - 29/3/2010 8:13:38 AM   
grucl

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: TrainOfThought
I also liked the final line, is it best to "Die a good man, or live as a monster”. I'v not read the book so I don't know what the author actually meant by that, but it appeared really ambiguous. He could be referring to the events that played out earlier in the film, or he could be referring to the actions of the main character after the book/film has ended. I.e, he is currently a good man, but he may have to to become a monster to escape, i.e kill his way off the island.

Even if what I just said is complete rubbish, its still an ambiguous ending, which I thought made the film even better,


That last sentence isn't in the book at all. The ending in the book is basically the same only without that final sentence.

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Post #: 100
RE: Shutter Island - Awesome - 29/3/2010 11:05:35 PM   
MI Cruise


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From: Shutter Island
 This is definately on of Scorsese's modern greats and is up there with The Departed.
Scorsese shows that he still hasnt lost his touch for storytelling and working with a wonderful story you expect nothing less.
DiCaprio puts in a great performance and is really improving as an actor (really really looking forward to Inception).
The last line was amazing and leaves you with a chill even though I didnt fully understand what the dialogue means, the horror styled scenes such as the dead bodies in the camps along with that chilling music is a standout thing. Heck Scorsese could make the next Shining if he wanted to, shame this is the closest that he may ever get to making a horror movie.

5/5

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Post #: 101
Wicker man comparison? - 30/3/2010 11:34:24 AM   
sneeson

 

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No one else seems to have made this comparison, but to me it seemed like an american WICKER MAN. Similar structure, mystery, plot and characters, not a criticism but a compliment.

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Post #: 102
Terrible - 30/3/2010 9:29:15 PM   
anglomacha

 

Posts: 1
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Ok, so I saw this on it's first week of release, I'd managed to go the cinema without really knowing what it was about but expecting to get the bejezzers scared out of me. What i got was possibly the worst film i've ever seen at the cinema, and i saw crossroads.

Ok I'm going to spoiler it.

the editing and sound were dreadful at the beginning and i thought that was just the editor being crap, until a friend pointed out later that it was a hint that his sanity was not quite there. the fact that however made that call decided we all needed the massive wink pissed me off.
secondly that one line 'how can someone spend two years in a mental institution and not know it' immediately gave the game away for me, oh right yeah, he's spent the last two years in a mental institution and not worked it out.
after i had figured this out 20 MINUTES IN I then had to sit through the rest, the next 120 minutes were some of the most boring of my life.

the only thing that made it worth it was the final line, but I don't happen to believe one minute right at the end of the film redeems it.

on the other side, I am the only person I know who hated it, so maybe i'm wrong.

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Post #: 103
Dreadful. Not good enough Marty. - 31/3/2010 1:35:22 AM   
ChesterCopperpot

 

Posts: 48
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Just watched this and loathed it. I completely agree with anglomacha's criticisms on this one. As someone who is nearing the end of their training to be a mental health nurse (and I'm not bigging myself up here by saying that, but it's an important point) the twist was unbelievably predictable and right there in front of you from pretty much the get-go. I found the score tacky and intrusive (and not in a musical-metaphor-for-madness-and-intrusive-thoughts kind of way because that is clearly what was being aimed for. It just got on my tits) and bless him but DiCaprio does his best trying to give a performance that must have been really challenging for any actor but as a result it helped make the end so much more predictable. It was probably a Herculean task to do that role...and so it proved in the final result. Ben Kingsley was fantastic though and is the one saving grace of the film. That and there is one very clever visual involving two characters "being shot" in the lighthouse that I found to be a really great representation of being deluded and hallucinating. There you go. In nearly two and a half hours I can only think of two good things about the film and one of them lasts for less than a second.

I'm a huge Scorsese fan and was left gutted by how awful I found Shutter Island. I had been really looking forward to it and...oh well.

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Post #: 104
RE: Dreadful. Not good enough Marty. - 1/4/2010 12:03:51 AM   
edge88

 

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I saw the movie today and thought it was awesome. I wasnt as good as I though it was going to be but I was still happy! I agree that the twist was quite predictable but was still enjoyable to watch, Leonardo Dicaprio is great in pretty much everything he does. 

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Post #: 105
Shutter Island - 1/4/2010 9:17:17 AM   
trueborndjross

 

Posts: 91
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From: Kirkcaldy
 Great stuff from Scorsese as usual. Not up there with some of his greats but a thoroughly enjoyable film. Dicaprio is excellent as usual and Kingsley is superb as you immediately don't want to trust anything that he says. The twist is nice but you will probably see it coming (but then change your mind and then change it back again!). Anyone expecting a horror movie should forget it though - this film is not about cheap scares. There's some genuinely horrific moments though (images of WWII concentration camps) and an overall creepy tone throughout.

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Post #: 106
RE: Shutter Island - 1/4/2010 3:43:54 PM   
Jackie Boy

 

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As thrillers go it's okay, but it could & probably should have been so much more.  

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Post #: 107
excellent movie - 2/4/2010 1:22:35 AM   
jerkyjudas

 

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really enjoyed this film - ending dialogue was lame though.

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Post #: 108
RE: Dreadful. Not good enough Marty. - 2/4/2010 2:10:03 PM   
Axel Foley


Posts: 731
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quote:

ORIGINAL: ChesterCopperpot
As someone who is nearing the end of their training to be a mental health nurse (and I'm not bigging myself up here by saying that, but it's an important point) the twist was unbelievably predictable and right there in front of you from pretty much the get-go. I found the score tacky and intrusive (and not in a musical-metaphor-for-madness-and-intrusive-thoughts kind of way because that is clearly what was being aimed for. It just got on my tits) and bless him but DiCaprio does his best trying to give a performance that must have been really challenging for any actor but as a result it helped make the end so much more predictable. It was probably a Herculean task to do that role...and so it proved in the final result. Ben Kingsley was fantastic though and is the one saving grace of the film. That and there is one very clever visual involving two characters "being shot" in the lighthouse that I found to be a really great representation of being deluded and hallucinating. There you go. In nearly two and a half hours I can only think of two good things about the film and one of them lasts for less than a second.

I'm a huge Scorsese fan and was left gutted by how awful I found Shutter Island. I had been really looking forward to it and...oh well.


Do you mean that there were hints as to DiCaprio's sanity shown early on? I fail to see how there is much of a giveaway until his meeting with Noyce, but perhaps I missed something...

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Post #: 109
RE: Dreadful. Not good enough Marty. - 2/4/2010 5:14:40 PM   
Jackie Boy

 

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I went into this with no prior knowledge about it at all, & yet i figured out the twist within twenty minutes. It was still an enjoyable enough romp, it's just that it wasn't the classic i was hoping for.

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Post #: 110
RE: Dreadful. Not good enough Marty. - 3/4/2010 5:32:04 AM   
ChesterCopperpot

 

Posts: 48
Joined: 24/6/2008
@ Axel Foley

To answer your question, yes. It was glaringly obvious. The marketing of the film didn't help either. But in the context of the story and how it played out, there were many things that just made me very suspicious. Firstly, the line, "How can anybody spend two years in a mental asylum and not know?" (or words to that effect, and that's within about 15mins of the film starting.) Other things to bare in mind if you do choose to watch it again, but notice the difference in Di Caprio's and Ruffalo's demeanour and their different personalities. One is VERY irrational, whilst the other is incredibly level-headed, and that IS from pretty much the beginning. Their partnership has that nurse/patient dynamic (on an acute ward for example). But the real giveaway were all those nasty, gratuitous and actually quite distasteful sequences involving the concentration camps, as well the early dream sequence with his wife crumbling into ash. The whole thing screamed Post Traumatic Stress and wasn't remotely subtle. So it was quite clear to a semi-professional like myself that a certain someone was No.67.

But if I'm honest, it's my own fault that I didn't enjoy the film. I'd never read or even heard of the book and had only gleaned from the press and online that this was a "thriller" set in a maximum-security psychiatric hospital. That combined with the fact it's a Scorsese picture and it's understandable why my curiosity was piqued. However, as a result of this, I ended up analyzing every scene to death from a nurse's point of view and not a filmgoer's. But saying that, how any filmgoer can sit through this appallingly edited and scored, epic cinematic turd is beyond belief. And it's Scorsese too, which breaks the heart.

Rant over.

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Post #: 111
RE: Dreadful. Not good enough Marty. - 3/4/2010 7:14:26 PM   
Axel Foley


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Chester -  From my perspective the moments and actions that you highlight merely suggested an individual on the verge of burning out, haunted as we are led to believe by his wife's death and his WWII experiences. DiCaprio is clearly hyped up, while Ruffalo is calm, but Ruffalo also seems to look up to his partner, almost as if he was idolising him at points. Maybe a pscychiatrist would do that to build the patient's confidence, but the situation is also consistent with a senior/junior cop relationship.

What is also interesting is that there are plenty of people who have seen the film and come out holding a pretty firm belief that the ending is ambiguous. There are a number of threads on IMDB message boards dedicated to proving DiCaprio is sane and that there is nothing in the film which proves his sanity either way. I don't agree, but it goes to show that there are plenty of possible interpretations for the moments you mentioned. I think that's a sign of the richness of the material that Scorsese constructed.

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Post #: 112
RE: Dreadful. Not good enough Marty. - 6/4/2010 1:06:41 AM   
ChesterCopperpot

 

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Don't worry I won't rant again. I see your point about the different perspectives one can view the film from but the ending is not ambiguous in any way. It says to me that Di Caprio possibly has moments of insight into his illness. That, or he is just telling the clinicians what he thinks they want to hear. He is not sane. My interpretation of the ending is that having been a patient for two years, progress is very slowly being made, or at least that's what you think, up until the point when Kingsley looks over at Ruffalo who gives a shake of the head as if to say, "Nope, back at square one again." I suppose my getting into this conversation just goes to prove your point about the "richness" of the story, though.

Still. I do believe it's a big fat pile of poo though.

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Post #: 113
RE: Shutter Island - 7/4/2010 6:47:34 PM   
McLovin32

 

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Shutter Island was extremely disappointing! The Departed was far superior.

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Post #: 114
RE: RE: - 8/4/2010 2:41:04 AM   
Deviation


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 I was really disappointed by the reveal (in what was quite a good film with some of the most emotive/fantastic hallucinations, flashbacks and dream sequences since, erm....Kundun). And the start with the fast cutting and loud horror music felt rather annoying and distracting.

*SPOILERS*

My interpretation of it is that he was insane and delusional and that at the end his mind was regressing back to his delusions not accepting reality in front of it, a bit like an overblown Mememto with stunning visuals and weaker overall film. Which does make the whole thing feel rather overblown and disappointingly predictable (I really wished that he was both insane and that there was some sort of Nazi experiments going on, but no one would believe becuase he was insane, opening a whole discussion on which people do we choose to trust, but NOOOO he was just insane, things Di Caprio's great twitchy performance and the hallucinations were making it obvious) and made no less better than the dodgy scripting and over-use of exposition. And the last line about good man, dying and monsters I sadly feel is nothing but nonsense when compared to the rest of the film and is nothing but an attempt to make the film deeper and more ambiguous than it actually is. I might be dismissing too early, and maybe a re-watch might change this.

END SPOILERS

And fantastic fantasy sequences.


And Jean-Luc Godard's Week End. What an utterly fantastic film. Like the Monty Pythons doing Pierrot le Fou. Maybe not but the thought is funny.


Did I mention how much I loved the fantasy sequences?


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Post #: 115
RE: RE: - 9/4/2010 1:18:55 AM   
demoncleaner


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 Shutter Island has fusioned-cooked two great stalwarts of the beautiful mind-screw film.

It's not a Martin Scorsese film.... it's a...

....drum-roll please...

A David Lincher Film.

You know what I say is true Gandalf.  You know.

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Post #: 116
Best thriller I've seen in ages - 10/4/2010 10:55:01 AM   
djphilips

 

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 Shutter Island is one of the best thrillers I have seen in ages. Although the five star rating may be a tad generous, I will close an eye as this film accomplishes everything it sets out to do, and then some.
The highlight of the film is easily Martin Scorsese. Albeit usually taking on more ambitious projects, his obvious expertise grants that Shutter Island is solid on every level. It wouldn't be half the film that it is as a result of his never-ending capabalities.
Leonardo DiCaprio turns in another brilliant star performance and is aided by a very good supporting cast, especially Ben Kingsley. While the script could have been handled a bit better, it still manages to shine and become appreciated, helping to create a mind-blowing experience I heavily recommend you to check out.

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Post #: 117
RE: shutter island - 10/4/2010 2:09:28 PM   
Nimrods Son

 

Posts: 293
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quote:

ORIGINAL: grucl

***SPOILERS***

What I don't get: how did they know that they could start the roleplay on board of the ferry? Were they able to reset Andrew's dilusion to start at that exact point? Or was all that in Andrew's head? I can't seem to piece togehther which part of the film were inside his head an which parts were actually happening.


***SPOILERS AHOY***

That's what I was thinking. It's one of the strongest pieces of evidence for the theory that Teddy is in fact, not insane but just being manipulated towards insanity so he can't tell anyone about the experiments on the island. Surely the idea of just sticking him on the boat with his shrink and making it do a U-Turn towards the island is a little flimsy? Basically they just have to hope that he plays along and if he;'s as dangerous as Kingsley says he is then surely he could have just broken Mark Ruffalo's neck.
Another bit of evidence is when Kingsley says something like "I've created something valuable and I'm not gonna give it up without a fight". Why the hell would he says that to Teddy unless he was housing experiments that could be very "valuable" to the US Military.
Not saying I agree with this theory but it's interesting and adds another layer to the film.

***SPOILERS ENDETH****

So moving on, I thought this was my favourite film of the year. Very interesting and complex. I think the twist shouldn't be seen as a conventional twist meant to shock you, cuz it's pretty easy to guess (although I was so sucked into Teddy's journey I didn;'t figure it out). It works better as a turning point in the story that adds more amibiguity and interpretation to the film. I loved the "twist"

Anyway, great cast, great script, great music (This Bitter Earth/On The Nature Of Daylight is getting constant play on the iPod), Some of the best dream sequences I've ever seen (the first one is just incredible)

Overall, Damn good I say.

< Message edited by Nimrods Son -- 10/4/2010 2:12:43 PM >

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Post #: 118
RE: Shutter Island - 12/4/2010 8:51:19 AM   
tftrman


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Joined: 15/11/2005
SPOILERS

Finally saw this last night and very much enjoyed it, even though I worked out within 5 minutes that there was something up with Leo's mindbox - the line about losing his cigarettes gave it away for me. That didn't stop this from being a engrossing thriller where we weren't sure what was real and what was imagined. I liked the little visual clues, like when the patient takes a gulp of water but there no glass in her hand. And I really liked the ending, since it is open to interpretation - mine being that Andrew has been cured at the end but still can't live with the guilt so pretends he's still insane to be lobotomised, hence the line "is it better to live as a monster or die a good man?"

Definitely one that needs to be watched again.

(in reply to Empire Admin)
Post #: 119
The most riveting mind-fuck since Fight Club - 12/4/2010 10:29:24 AM   
!xHoTRoDx!

 

Posts: 162
Joined: 20/12/2008
Nobody could have made this film better than Scorsese, for he is of course the master of filmmakers in terms of the perfect mix of style and substance and this should at least be nominated for best picture or director, but the one who most deserves an oscar is Leo, for nobody else could have carried an audience through this psychotic mayhem and he perfectly captures the horror of (SPOILER) discovering his children's bodies. And as for all you snot-nosed gore-seeking pricks who say "not good enough, marty", WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE. HE DOESN'T HAVE TO FUCKING IMPRESS YOU! WHAT NEXT? DO YOU EXPECT HIM TO LICK DOGSHIT OFF YOUR SHOES?! WELL, THEN IT SHOULD BE THE WAY AROUND, YOU FUCKING UNGRATEFUL TURDS!

(in reply to Empire Admin)
Post #: 120
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