Shutter Island ****

Martin Scorsese’s follow-up to his popular and critical juggernaut The Departed is different than any other film in his oeuvre. Shutter Island is a taut and suspenseful thriller set in a mental institution housed on a Boston Harbor island in 1954. It is film noir and psychological thriller, it is horror and mystery—a whodunit and a fish out of water. Scorcese’s most comparable picture in the past is his lesser remake of Cape Fear, an overall forgettable film.

Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, the film opens with U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) vomiting aboard a boat taking him and his new partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of a patient. They meet Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), the head doctor at the mental institution who explains that the missing patient, Rachel Solando, escaped her locked cell “as if she evaporated straight through the walls.” So Teddy and Chuck investigate in typical 1950’s police fashion. They find clues and interview the other patients, many of whom are afraid to talk. But they feel they’re being given the runaround.

Throughout the film we are shown flashbacks of Teddy’s life. He was a soldier in World War II and was present at the liberation of Dachau. “I’ve seen what human beings are capable of doing to each other,” he says, persisting that the institution on Shutter Island holds sinister secrets. His wife had been killed in a fire in their apartment building and he’s constantly dealing with migraines. Teddy’s flashbacks often seem valid, but they also appear to be partly delusional. Are the walls of Ashcliffe mental hospital closing in around Teddy or is he closer to learning the truth behind Rachel’s disappearance and the real intentions of Shutter Island?

Martin Scorsese is one of the best American directors of our time, and with Shutter Island he is in complete control of the material. DiCaprio delivers another Oscar-worthy performance and Mark Ruffalo is a great complement, proving once again he needs a proper leading role in a major motion picture. The film has one of those endings you’ll be talking about the minute the credits roll, much like the last film adaption of a Lehane novel, Gone Baby Gone. With ten nominees, I’d be surprised if Shutter Island isn’t nominated for Best Picture at next year’s Academy Awards. It’s like Jurassic Park meets Schindler’s List meets The Shining, done Scorsese-style. What’s not to love?

My Addiction to Documentaries. Part 2.

You know the recent trend to include “documentaries” (I include scare quotes, though they do in fact document) on DVD’s about the making-of the movie you just watched? With the abundance of “Special Features” or “Extras” or “Bonus Features” or whatever you want to call them, DVD’s ushered in a new era of full-disclosure filmmaking that film geeks have come to relish. Personally, my favorite special feature is the commentary track. They were first included on Criterion laserdiscs, and they have become ubiquitous in the DVD era. Some of my favorite commentaries include Roger Ebert’s track on Casablanca, and the commentary by Kirk Douglas, Peter Ustinov, and restoration expert Robert Harris on the Criterion Collection release of Spartacus. Robert Rodriguez has to be one of the more user-friendly commentators because he always makes it so enjoyable and informative. Kevin Smith, too, solely for entertainment purposes.

But back to the documentaries. To be blunt: most suck. But some are actually quite good, and I will briefly discuss one in particular.

One of the best made-for-DVD documentaries is Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy. The film takes us from George Lucas’s original vision through the release of Return of the Jedi and beyond. Told chronologically, the film includes some of the best archival footage one would hope for, especially for a movie released a few decades before the documentary was pieced together for the trilogy’s DVD release. It’s great for fans to see how the films were made. From major setbacks to major success, Star Wars invented a new way of filmmaking that continues to influence Hollywood to this day.

As for the “improvements” to the movies themselves? Digitally re-mastered? That’s fine. New digital effects? That’s fine. Hayden Christensen in Jedi? That’s bullshit.

Bullshit.

The Wolfman ***1/2

There is something about nineteenth-century gothic horror—dark, foggy, small village, big manor, candle and gaslight—all around ominous and supernatural, that feels like an old-school, big movie scare fest. And I like it. The Wolfman has had its share of bad publicity with reports of unhappy studio execs and numerous re-edits. It definitely shows to an extent. The film is imbalanced in terms of story and it’s as if several of the actors think they’re in different movies. But in the end, special effects master Joe Johnston delivers a movie that almost makes me forget about Jurassic Park III.

Based on the original 1941 film, The Wolfman begins with Lawrence Talbot (Benicio del Toro) returning to his English home in Blackmoor after the vicious murder of his brother. Lawrence was raised in America with his aunt and had not seen his brother in years. Upon his arrival, he is welcomed by his father John (Anthony Hopkins), and his brother’s fiancée, Gwen (Emily Blunt). As Lawrence begins to investigate, he learns that many of the villagers believe that the gypsies who've set up camp outside of the town are to blame for the attack. They have a big bear, anyway.

So when he travels to the gypsies’ camp, he expects to find some answers. But before long, a beast attacks, decapitating and killing anyone in sight. The scene is a relatively well-done mash of special effects and over-the-top gore. When Lawrence chases after the beast, he is attacked and bitten.  We learn what happened to Lawrence’s mother, why he grew up in America, and most intriguing, why he spent some of his youth in an insane asylum. Are his delusions conflicting with real supernatural occurrences? Or is his fear of the full moon justified? It’s pretty clear what’s actually going on, and the film gives us some more great action sequences, one in London and another old-school showdown at Talbot Manor.

All together, The Wolfman is a fun ride with some great set pieces stringed together with an adequate plot. I enjoyed the special effects. They were well-done and in some instances over-the-top, which is exactly what you want in a supernatural horror film. I loved the contrast between the traditional cinematography and art design of nineteenth-century England with the modern effects and visuals. My suggestion? Go bold.  Go black and white.

Edge of Darkness **1/2

Mini-Review

In Mel Gibson’s first starring role since 2002’s Signs, he takes on his usual persona of a wronged man seeking vengeance. In this particular movie, his daughter is gunned down on his front porch in what appears to be a hit meant for him. The audience knows better. As Boston detective Thomas Craven, Gibson begins to uncover a plot involving the government and weapons manufacturing. But where does the conspiracy end? He meets Jedburgh (Ray Winstone), a mysterious Englishman who claims he’s usually the person that stops other people from “connecting A to B.” What’s his job, and as Craven astutely asks: whose side is he on? We don’t know the full story until the film’s end, and it’s not much more than we could have imagined. All together, Edge of Darkness is a stylish thriller with nothing new to say.

When in Rome ***

Mini-Review

For a typical romantic comedy, When in Rome is atypically funny. It probably feels fresher than most rom-coms because it does a better job of walking the fine line between seriousness and goofiness. When Beth (Kristen Bell) flies to Rome to attend her sister’s wedding, she meets charming and handsome Nick (Josh Duhamel). They hit it off at the wedding, but after Beth takes coins from the plaza’s Fountain of Love and the men who threw them in start falling in love with her, she thinks Nick might be under a spell as well. The film eventually takes the classic route, but not before we see a few other men essentially stalk and sexually harass Beth. A thought: what if she had picked up a woman’s coin? Methinks the writers missed a beat.

The Book of Eli ***

Mini-Review

Yet another film that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, The Book of Eli is I Am Legend for adults, so it only makes sense that Denzel Washington steps in for Will Smith. Washington plays Eli, a man whose mission is to carry a book out west, though he’s been walking for thirty years and hasn’t yet made it. When he stops in what resembles a town, he meets Carnegie (Gary Oldman), a man obsessed with reading and wants only find a Bible. We soon learn that a Bible is exactly what Eli has, but he wants nothing to do with Carnegie. He escapes the town, followed by Solara (Mila Kunis). She’s curious about the book and about Eli. He is so determined to finish his mission that he can’t see what’s right in front of him, though it appears he learns a few lessons along the way. The film is slow with short bursts of action, and it works well overall. With a bit of a twist and a fitting ending, The Book of Eli is a solid movie.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus ***

Mini-Review

This film has become somewhat famous because Heath Ledger was filming it when he died. Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell took over for Ledger, all of them playing the same role. It actually works in the context of the movie. Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) and his troupe travel the streets of London putting on street shows, but nobody really cares. We learn that Parnassus is very old, and that he’s made a deal with the devil to hand over his daughter on her rapidly approaching sixteenth birthday, a decision he regrets. But the devil gives him one last deal: if Parnassus can get 5 souls, he’ll let his daughter stay. The troupe finds Tony (Ledger) hanging beneath a bridge, and he proceeds to help them win souls. Yes, it’s all very convoluted. The magic of the film is Terry Gilliam’s fantastical direction. Within the mind of Parnassus (I think) is a fantasy world. It’s a confusing film, but it’s fun to try to figure it all out, and it has some great visuals. Though not on par with Gilliam’s best work (that would be Brazil, The Fisher King, and 12 Monkeys), The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is his most enjoyable in the last ten years.

Youth In Revolt *1/2

Mini-Review

Youth in Revolt is slow and quirky and often misguided. Though I watched the movie, I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to take away from it. Nick Twisp (Michael Cera) is an intelligent high school student who likes foreign films and Frank Sinatra. He, his mom, and her boyfriend Jerry (Zach Galifianakis) move out of Oakland for a while to take some heat off Jerry. While away, Nick meets Sheeni (Portia Doubleday), a beautiful girl who likes everything he does. They fall for each other. Then Nick invents an alter-ego named Francois Dillinger, whose intention is to get Nick kicked out off the house (after they move back to Oakland) so that he can live with his dad to be closer to Sheeni. To be honest, it’s been a while since I watched this movie and can’t remember exactly why any of this is necessary. Youth in Revolt is an unremarkable film.