Monday's movie

For the past couple of months, I've been dying to see Martin Scorsese's new film, Shutter Island.  It finally came out this weekend, and I saw it yesterday. 

I really enjoyed this movie.  It is suspenseful and alarming, and it kept me constantly on edge wondering what would happen next or what it was that I was not seeing on the surface.  It's the kind of film where you know that things are not at all as they appear, but your inner-sleuthing actually leads you further from the truth. 

Likes:

1. A talented cast.  Ben Kingsley is wonderful.  Leonardo DiCaprio is superb.  One of the things I most admire about Leo is that his face is so expressive; he has such a wonderful way of using his face to express what the character feels and goes through.  I first noticed that quality when I saw Revolutionary Road.  
2. The suspense.  I love thriller/suspense/mystery films.  I love knowing that there's something lurking behind what we're allowed to see as an audience, and I love trying to figure it out.  This film definitely leaves you with a pit in your stomach.
3. The camera work and cinematography.  This film's "look" is perfect for the story.  It's a visually appealing film.  It's set in the early 1950s, so the sets and costumes lend considerable vintage appeal.  I believe that the time period lends a mysterious element to the story, since it is set at a maximum security mental institution, and mental health care during this time left much to be desired.  It makes you worry about what you may learn.
4. The soundtrack/score was the perfect complement to the film.  I think it's really beautiful; it lent suspense to the scenes that called for it, but it also provided a tones of melancholy, tenderness, and frustration.
5. The story.  Like I've mentioned, the story is surprising and thought-provoking.  What I admire most in the crafting of this film is that so much mistrust and secrecy is built up, that it was hard for me to accept that the ending was actually the truth. 

Dislikes:

Not too much to complain about here.  Ironically, after saying how much I loved the story, I will admit that I found the story to be somewhat overused.  The concept has been touched upon numerous times in other films.  I don't want to give anything away, so I won't go into detail, but my only complaint is that while the story is excellent and suprising, I was a little disappointed that this particular concept had been used again once I find out what was really going on.  However, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and recommend it without hesitation.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars