SHUTTER ISLAND

RYAN: Helloooooo, Shutter Island! All I have to say is, wow.

CAROLINE: This movie has been a long time coming, having been bumped from its original October release date, and we’re so thrilled it’s finally here! It does not disappoint. It really feels out of place though, coming out during this time o’ crappy movies.

RYAN: Totally. Usually when a movie’s release date is bumped and/or when it comes out in February, that means it’s not that great and certainly not an Oscar contender. But this movie is both and then some.

CAROLINE: Now I’m more baffled than ever about the release date, but I’ll have to get over it. This is a great movie and I loved it.

RYAN: It’s like a Hitchcock film.

CAROLINE: Honey, it’s a Martin Scorsese film! Who even needs to compare it to Hitchcock?

RYAN: OK fine. Then I’m gonna say it’s my favorite Scorsese film ever.

CAROLINE: [laughs’ Yeah, but how many have you seen?

RYAN: Umm… more than ten. I did really adore The Age of Innocence. And this movie is smart and scary to the nth.

CAROLINE: It’s very creepy; and a little bloody, though not too violent. But it’s almost as scary as a horror movie at times.

RYAN: It’s a true thriller, in the vein of Silence of the Lambs.

CAROLINE: It’s such an amazing, detailed story, with special attention paid to capturing the era perfectly. It takes place in the ’50s, and the costumes are perfect. They do a great job of transporting you to this post-WWII world where everyone’s afraid of Communism and crazy stuff is going down with psychiatry. It’s really incredible. This is one movie where I’m really glad I hadn’t read the book ahead of time, because it was so awesome to watch it all unfold.

RYAN: The first forty minutes or so reminded me a lot of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It has such rich cinematography and amazing music.

CAROLINE: The soundtrack is awesome. You notice it from the very first scene. It’s so striking and it matches the mood and creepy tone of the movie perfectly. Everything is so well done, and with a cast and a director of this caliber, it’s no shock. Leonardo DiCaprio is a freaking genius, and that’s no exaggeration. Mark Ruffalo’s part is a little smaller, but he’s equally fantastic.

RYAN: It’s one of his best performances ever.

CAROLINE: And it has three actresses we love, Patricia Clarkson, Michelle Williams and Emily Mortimer, who each have small but pivotal roles.

RYAN: One thing I want to warn people about is the scenes about the Holocaust in the concentration camp. They’re brief and they’re in flashback, but they are disturbing.

CAROLINE: There are a lot of tough scenes to watch in this movie… but the less said about it the better. It’s got lots of twists and turns that keep you on your toes and on the edge of your seat the entire time, which I really appreciate.

RYAN: It’s a very different movie from what I expected; but no matter what you’re expecting, it’ll catch you off guard and leave you with questions. My pal, Natalie, who attended the screening with us had high expectations and liked it too.

CAROLINE: I’d seen the trailer many times and loved it, and I was so hopeful that the movie could be as good as the trailer. And it is!

RYAN: I guess it just goes to show you that once in a while, a February release can be great.

CAROLINE: Yes, but this movie isn’t a true February release. It was intended for the fall and Oscar contention.

RYAN: True and I definitely would have put this in the running for Best Picture of 2009.

CAROLINE: So many thrillers and horror movies are made for the cheese factor and to get teenagers to see them. But this is a smart, adult thriller that’s both historical and entertaining.

RYAN: I think it’ll look great on Blu-ray. And as with Silence of the Lambs, when it’s on cable you’ll want to watch it over and over. It even has the freaky murderer dude from Silence of the Lambs.

CAROLINE: It does?

RYAN: Yeah, he plays the warden.

CAROLINE: OMG you’re right! That was Jame Gumb. I knew he looked familiar.

— BOTTOM LINE —

RYAN: It’s brilliant and absolutely worth seeing in the theater. It’s the first movie where I’ve jumped in my seat when somebody merely lit a match on screen. I was so on edge. Scorsese is at the top of his game with this one. This film is a true achievement for him, and Leo too. I have always appreciated Leonardo DiCaprio as an actor, but now I’m a true fan.

CAROLINE: I’m thrilled that this movie turned out as good as I’d hoped it would be. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next. It’s about two hours and fifteen minutes long, but it felt like an hour. I was never bored and I almost wanted more.

RYAN: Totally! I appreciate that it leaves you with things to talk about afterward, but I would have liked even more explanation. I mean, when have we ever said we wanted a movie to be longer!?

CAROLINE: Never. But this movie is that good.

— RATING —