What I Think of: Shutter Island (2010)

This 2010 psychological thriller directed by Martin Scorsese (Score-sez-e) stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Teddy Daniels, Mark Ruffalo as Chuck Aule, and Ben Kingsley as Dr. John Cawley. The film is based on the 2003 novel by Dennis Lehane of the same name. I haven't read the book but Joshua has and he says the movie is a true adaptation of the book (for the most part). Teddy and Chuck are detectives who are sent to an asylum for the criminally insane in Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of a patient, Rachel Solando (played by Emily Mortimer). Teddy also has an ulterior motive while at the asylum; he is looking for the man responsible for the death of his wife. Long story short, there's a lot of twists and turns and you don't know who to trust or believe and then BOOM, there it is, everything is unraveled and all the things you thought didn't make sense do.

Though I usually tend to stay away from psychological thrillers because I hate losing sleep, this was done so well and it felt so satisfying at the end. And best of all, it wasn't too scary. It was mildly scary for a chicken like me but for normal folks, it'll be fine. Great performances by all, though I still cannot stand DiCaprio's awful Bostonian accent. I think he just needs to hang it up and retire it.

Enjoy the trailer:

What I Think of: The Brothers Bloom (2009)

This 2009 caper film directed by Rian Johnson of Brick fame stars Mark Ruffalo, Adrian Brody, Rachel Weisz, and Rinko Kikuchi. Stephen (Ruffalo) and Bloom (Brody) are con men brothers who go through life conning their way into people's lives and somehow leaves both the victims and the con men themselves satisfied after each con.

The pair later is joined by a near silent sidekick in Bang Bang (Kikuchi). The big con that this film focuses on is of a recluse socialite from New Jersey--Penelope Stamp (Weisz). This quirky character jumps right into this whirlwind con and ends up traveling the world with the trio.

The story was quirky in a good way and kept my interest. I think what I really liked about the movie was the sense of not knowing what is real and what is part of the con. And you end up getting a clear answer each time, which is important to me :) but that momentary lapse of losing where you are and what is reality and what is not, is quite a whimsical feeling while watching the movie. I love the scenery and the costume--a mix of modern / contemporary motifs--traveling by boat and trains (vs. a plane) and yet using cell phones. It was a beautiful film, a feast for the eyes. But honestly, I can look at Adrian Brody all day long.

I can't say this is a great film but I quite enjoyed the ride and would recommend it for a DVD rental. Enjoy the trailer.



-Penny