Shutter Island

Shutter Island is the latest film by cinema’s “GoodFella” Martin Scorsese. Set in the middle of the Cold War, federal agents Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are sent to the Ashcliffe Mental Institution on Shutter Island, a remote island beyond the reach of Boston, to investigate in the disappearance of a patient, who murdered her children. Their search conflicts with Teddy’s dreams about his dead wife (Michelle Williams) and the horrors of what he witnessed during World War II. Based on Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel, this complex thriller will keep you in suspense until the final frame.

Scorsese has always taken a chance on different film genres; comedy (The King of Comedy) suspense (Cape Fear) and musical (the forgettable New York, New York). In the case of Shutter Island, it doesn’t rank at the top of Scorsese’s greatest accomplishments; it falls in between Bringing out the Dead and The Aviator. The film complements Lehane’s novel with accurate detail; especially, with Scorsese at the helm and Robert Richardson’s haunting cinematography.

The drawback to adapting Shutter Island is that the performances seem constricted. Leonardo DiCaprio has his moments of tapping the nerves, but mostly repeats his performance from The Departed. Mark Ruffalo gave his best performance as Inspector Dave Toschi in David Fincher’s Zodiac, and one would assume that he would repeat his suave, yet flamboyant, performance in Shutter Island. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Ben Kingsley delivers a solid performance as Dr. John Cawly as his calm presence infuses with a sadistic tone in his voice, but its nothing compared to his wild performance in Sexy Beast. The irony is that it’s the supporting cast, comprised of Max von Sydow, Patricia Clarkson, and Jackie Earle Haley that compensate for the so-so performances by the leading cast.

On the plus side, Shutter Island is a film-geek’s film; the shot of the agents being driven up the slopes of the island mirrors that of the opening shot of Jack Nicholson’s car driving through the mountain pass in The Shining. Also, the mix of dreams and reality within the mental institution strike similar chords to Sam Fuller’s Shock Corridor and David Lynch’s Eraserhead. Shutter Island is an impressive visual thrill ride, yet is not in the same league as Scorsese’s epics like Taxi Driver or GoodFellas.

3 out of 4 stars

V-Day

Okay, all I've been hearing about this week are Valentine's Day films people "should" and "shouldn't" see. In all seriousness, I can't stand romantic films. Sometimes they work, but most of the time, they just make me want to grab the nearest bucket to throw up in. I might as well join the club and compile the list of films I would sit down with my loved one and watch on National Hallmark Day.

Play It Again, Sam/Annie Hall

Although he is not my favorite director, Woody Allen really shined in the Seventies with his cinematic love letters to Diane Keaton. Directed by Herbert Ross, Play It Again, Sam is the 1972 classic that satirizes the Playboy magazine bachelor life as Woody tries to channel the suaveness of Humphrey Bogart while trying to fill the romantic void. It's a fine mix of reality vs. imagination. One of the best scenes is the morning after Allen and Diane Keaton have sex and Keaton asked what Woody was thinking about during sex, and he replies "Willie Mays."

Annie Hall is Allen at his best when he questions and reminisces about his past flames (Carol Kane, Shelley Duvall and, most importantly, Diane Keaton). Allen and Keaton are like a house on fire as they both stimulate each other with weird conversations, cabaret singing, and debating over the joy of sex with or without marijuana. It makes you wonder if your girlfriend is having an out of body experience while you're trying to satisfy her.

High Fidelity

Based on Nick Hornby's bestselling novel, the film follows John Cusack and his conflicting love affair between his obsession with music and his ex-girlfriend, who he tries to get back. For Cusack, it doesn't sound like a stretch, since he made of name for himself as the desperate lover in the 80s flicks, Better Off Dead and Say Anything, but this is totally different. With Stephen Frears directing and Cusack having to deal with "the musical moron twins" (Todd Louiso and Jack Black, who gives a stellar performance of a Marvin Gaye classic), the film is not in the "chick flick" pile since any guy can sympathize and channel his codependency frustration with a mix tape and a stack of vinyl.

Lost in Translation

The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree with Sofia Coppola carrying her family name with her 2003 film, Lost in Translation. While in Japan filming a whiskey commercial, Bill Murray tries to grab a hold of his life as an actor and husband 5,000 miles away from home, but his vacation takes a turn when he befriends Scarlett Johansson, a young woman questioning her rush into marriage, and they both journey out into the hectic streets of Tokyo. A bittersweet story blended with a sublime cast and awesome soundtrack (turn it up when you hear The Jesus and Mary Chain) , Translation is a brilliant film that gives you hope in finding an equal in a world where you feel out of place.

Friends

Before you start thinking about Jennifer Aniston and that cheesy show....it's not, I repeat, "NOT" the "Friends" you're thinking about. Friends is a 1971 gem by Lewis Gilbert that follows two confused and lovestruck teenagers that run away from their troubled families and live in seclusion in the south of France. Despite its controversial depiction of teenage sex, its softcore compared to the films that followed this one (Last Tango in Paris, La Luna, Kids). With Elton John's music mixed with the road-trip cinematography that mirrors that of Harold and Maude, Friends is a beautiful and rare film that throws away the conventional standards of romantic films with something unique and pure.