Shutter Island and More

Leonardo DiCaprio and master auteur Martin Scorsese have previously collaborated on depictions of brutal 19th century gang violence (Gangs of New York), 30s Hollywood glamor and psychosis (The Aviator) and contemporary Boston crime wars (The Departed). For their fourth duet, they're lighting a match to explore the dark corridors of 50s era insane asylums. Leo is strongest as an actor when he's unraveling -- you can keep the cocky default mode, which plentiful other actors do just as well -- and Scorsese seems to understand this, keeping Leo continually off balance in the creepy Shutter Island. The film opens with a closeup of DiCaprio's seasick terror (sea travel is the only way this federal marshall can get to the island) and he almost never catches a break from there. For the next two hours of his investigation of the disappearing murderess, he'll be sweating, hallucinating, crying, paranoid and beset from all sides by possible dangers as well as his own troubled past.


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Are you seeing Shutter Island this weekend or taking in another new(ish) release. I'm most interested in The Ghost Writer on account of Polanski & Ewan McGregor but Happy Tears? The casting of Parker Posey and Demi Moore as siblings intrigues me. I can see it, looks wise but spiritually speaking, bizarre. right? If you're all anxious for that Celine Dion documentary, please don't tell me! Some things should be kept private.

The Oscars are only three weeks away (!) so soon it'll be 2010 proper, as in New Film Year! We probably haven't seen anything yet that has nominations in its future next year -- though some may hope for some Fish Tank recognition in a year -- but maybe something soon?