Up & Coming Weekly

24 UCW MARCH 17 - 23, 2010 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM It's usually a good bet to read the book before you see the movie. So, the trailers appear for Shutter Island (138 minutes), ideally the Dennis Lehane books are flying off the shelf the very next day. In this case, reading the book completely puts people off of the movie. It starts off strong, builds a nice atmo- sphere, and then ends stupidly. So, going in, keep that in mind: decent movie, stupid ending. Yes, it is Scorsese and DiCaprio. No, neither one of them lives up to the not inconsiderable hype. Obviously, some people will love the movie just because it is a Scorsese flick, and give it to him, that man knows how to appeal to his core audience. Equally, some people will love it because it is a DiCaprio flick. Everyone else is going to get really into the movie and than walk away really irritated at the ending. It is 1954. The story opens on two uniformed men, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo). Some nice camera work emphasizes that theirs is a new partnership, and some characteris- tic Scorsese foreshadowing takes them onto an atmospheric island. Once ashore, they introduce themselves as U.S. Marshals and head inland to arrive at the rather gothic Ashcliff Hospital for the criminally insane. They wade through the creepy inmates wandering the grounds and into the ostentatious manor house that serves the guy in charge of some- thing, rhat's for sure Dr. Cawley (Sir Ben Kingsley) as an office/lounge. Dr. Cawley informs them of the mysterious disappearance of a patient, Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer), from a guarded and locked room. He explains that she has constructed an elaborate fantasy world; the asylum is her neighborhood, the inmates her neighbors, etc., etc., etc. The audi- ence wonders if this is legitimate plot development or a red herring. Daniels and Aule immediately begin poking their nosy noses around the hospital and doing their best to discover something that resembles the truth amidst all the creepiness. Interspersed with the arty dreamy shots of DiCaprio figuring things out are a number of flashbacks that serve as coded exposition. These bizarre forays into symbol are among the best shots in the movie, combining the liberation of Dachau with seeming rev- elations about Daniels' sad little backstory. As the two explore the asylum and expand their search into the sur- rounding area, Daniels gives Aule his version of what they are REALLY doing on the island. Instead of Aule slapping him into sanity, he encour- ages Daniels' unreasonably elaborate web of confusing conspiracy. They eventually sneak into a well-secured, closely guarded prison. There, Daniels' inability to understand basic punctuation causes some misunderstanding between himself and a half-naked inmate (Jackie Earle Haley). From here on, things get a little weird. Daniels loses his buddy and meets up with a special friend (Patricia Clarkson) who may or may not be a number of different things, but who mostly serves to drive the plot for- ward and give the audience more clues. All in all, a nice translation from page to screen, I just wish the page was more interesting. Just As Stupid As I Remember From the Book Shutter Island (Rated R) by HEATHER GRIFFITHS HEATHER GRIFFITHS, Contributing Writer COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or editor@upandcomingweekly.com Special thanks to E 24th Annual Mid-Carolina Senior Games & Silver Arts April 14 - 29, 2010 April 14 - 29, 2010 Entry Forms Now Available Final Registration Deadline: March 26 All entry forms must be received in our offi ce by 5 p.m. Sponsors still needed! Sponsors still needed! For more information on registration, sponsorship or to volunteer Contact Local Coordinator Tracy Davis at 910-323-4191, ext. 27 or email tdavis@mccog.org.

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