Inception is the rare film which is critically acclaimed, visually stunning, and a box-office success. Reviews advertised that the plot would be complicated but anyone who possesses the ability to note details and a short-term memory of at least two hours should be perfectly fine. Unfortunately, cinema-goers who screened Shutter Island will be distracted by similar plot themes and Leonardo DiCaprio’s nearly identical performance. What is real? What is imagined? Where does reality end and dreams begin? Too many films have covered this question and this detracts from the film’s appeal. I was bracing for an ultimate clichéd twist but …
Shutter Island
So what if Shutter Island is a visually stunning work of art? Would you expect anything else from the best director of the past quarter-century? The overhead shots – which give the audience the impression of peering down and spying on the mysterious island – are a captivating technique employed by Martin Scorsese. Some of the long shots which zoom into extreme close-ups rival the visual interest of the dolly zooms in GoodFellas. Irrespective of the rest of the film, the cinematography is spectacular. The plot befits a blunt felt-tipped marker rather than an elegant quill. I cannot blame the …
Body of Lies
Body of Lies is unfortunately less than the sum of its parts. Fortunately, it’s made with a number of top quality parts (Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe, and Leonardo DiCaprio) so it’s still a very entertaining story. Crowe has worked with director Scott in previous films such as American Gangster and Gladiator and they always do well together. Body of Lies is much closer in quality, scale, and significance to the more recent American Gangster than the Academy Award winning Gladiator. It is still a film that is worth seeing. I am tired of films with taglines such as “Trust No …