Incorporating the scientific mystery with thrills and suspense, Shutter Island begs the question of insanity in a story only as complex as a Scorsese film would imply.

Set in a post World War II Massachusetts, U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is called to investigate the sudden disappearance of a patient from Boston’s Shutter Island Ashcliffe Institution, a secluded but elaborate hospital for the criminally insane. With his partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), Daniels ventures to the island to solve the case, but finds himself caught in what he suspects is a plan to keep him from ever leaving the Island. When stories begin to mix, and the doctors’ answers become as hazy as the effects of his persistant migranes, Teddy Daniels finds himself doubting his own sanity; moreover, his own past.

The old Hollywood horror comes back to play in Scorsese’s rendition of  the Dennis Lehane novel, as the horror of personality sub-genre is quite vibrant, and as our Teddy Daniels faces the terrifying reality of what constitutes insanity. Though he doesn’t characterize our main character as a villain, Scorsese pulls heavily from the ambiance, the music, and the immersion into the era (post WW2, the insecurity complex) to dignify an otherwise nonchalant criticism of sanity as we know it. It reminds us of Hitchcock’s Psycho in essence, of A Beautiful Mind in theoretics, but mainly it fits right in as a Martin Scorsese production.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, The Departed) presents a confident and determined Teddy Daniels, in a performance that shows the complete dedication to the role, and the complete understanding of what Scorsese’s vision of the character suggested. DiCaprio’s position as Scorsese’s go-to guy  is solidified once again in this film, with reason- as he flawlessly delivers. As one of Hollywood’s leading actors, there’s no doubt that DiCaprio wasn’t the best (if not the first and only) pick for this character. With solid supporting performances from Mark Ruffalo (Collateral, Zodiac), and Ben Kingsley (Schindler’s List) among others, the dreary and serious island is animated by the varying characters- insane or not.

The only downfalls: at times the music, though orchestral and fluid, is overbearing- and the dramatics are intensified much more than they really need to be.  The latter we can attribute to the script, but plot is solid enough to carry the adaptation. Since this is based on a novel, movie plot cannot be judged without judging the author’s work, and both are carefully crafted. Nonetheless, this movie is a testament to the expertise of the seasoned director. Appropriately funny, engaging, and chilling when necessary, the raw and gritty Shutter Island leaves us questioning just how sane we really are.

Rating: 4/5

 Love– it exists in many different ways, shapes, and forms. Unfortunately, it doesn’t exist as any emotion that will be evoked as a direct result of seeing this particular film. Valentine’s Day isn’t the best movie you’ll ever see, but then again– were you expecting that much?

Cute stories twist into this carefully connected take on love at different levels, ranging from the genuine love of an old married couple, to the false love shared between a phone sex operator and her clients. You’ve got the guy who realizes he’s in love with his best friend, the girl who hates everything that has to do with love, the young naive couple experiencing sex for the first time, and of course- the realization that love can be unrequited. 

There are too many big names in this film (the only reason anyone would see this movie), but they all are subject to the terrible writing, awkward exchanges and farfetched scenarios that make up this film. As a result, no one performance stands out, and not one performance is memorable. But everyone is very pleasant to look at, at the very least. Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway, Jamie Foxx, Julia Roberts and Taylor Swift lead a cast of over 20 recognizable names and faces. 

Directed by the guy who knows everything about cute love stories, actor/director Gary Marshall (Pretty Woman, The Princess Diaries) puts together a movie that nods inherently to the Happy Days bopping experience that Marshall has (as writer of the show), mixed with the allegiance he has to actors and actresses he’s worked very closely with before, like Julia Roberts and Anne Hathaway.  

Okay, so there wasn’t much point in writing a review on this movie, because it is nothing more than a creation to feed the Valentines Day hype (and Taylor Swift loves hype, remember), but I will say that it is worth seeing as a lighthearted date night with friends type of movie. You will chuckle a few times, you will cringe a few times, but if there were ever a more fitting make-shift movie to see on a make-shift holiday, this one is it. And you’ll certainly enjoy the never-ending opening credits with the list of names that keeps on giving.

Too good to be true? Of course it was, but there’s nothing to be lost here.

Rating: 2.8/5

        A melange of Old Hollywood horror and new age mechanics, The Wolfman cuts it close as an addition to the fantasy-horror combination.

A nobleman visits his old family estate after receiving word that his brother has died. Reuniting with a father he hadn’t seen in years, Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) comes back to the familiar place that he grew up in, and ran away from to be a traveling actor in America. Lawrence also finds out that the sleepy Victorian town is burdened with brutal murders, like his brother’s, by what the terrified townspeople don’t identify as a  human being. The wolf beast that shadows the town finds Lawrence vulnerable to its contaminating bite, and so the lonely man faces the horrors that come to the warewolf’s victims under the spell of a full moon. 

Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro (Traffic, 21 Grams, Sin City) stars as the solemn Lawrence Talbot, a weary man whose family secrets and past life haunts him as he ventures back to his estate and childhood. Del Toro appears as grief-stricken and burdened as a man with a wolf of a secret would, but his character doesn’t have time to really be developed throughout the story. He is convincingly troubled, though a weak script lends nothing to the downtime that carries the story between wolf morphs. Del Toro isn’t as memorable in this role, apart from the fact that he is perfectly cast. I doubt there would have been a better wolfman, if ever the role were written again. 

  The extremely talented Anthony Hopkins (Hannibal, All The King’s Men) doubles as the existentially drained father, Sir John Talbot, removed especially from his family but more seemingly from his own sanity. Hopkins shows his experience in this movie as a seasoned veteran, but effectively lends to the twisty story that exposes the realm of monsters and make-believe. Another solid performance from Emily Blunt (Sunshine Cleaning, The Devil Wears Prada) as the grieving and forlorn ex-fiancee Gwen Conliffe, torn between the allegiance to her departed love, and her growing affection for his mysterious brother. Blunt settles nicely into older, more in depth roles, and shows her versatility once again.

The Wolfman, directed by Oscar winning Joe Johnston (Honey I Shrunk The Kids, Jumanji), is a pretty good remake of the 1941 classic, exposing once again the story of the wolfman- one that has been morphed into contemporary relativity, but hadn’t been incorporated as its own stand-alone story since. Nowadays we know of warewolf mythology in relation to all of the vampire chatter, but Johnston effectively draws from the need to separate the two, and makes a new classic wolf tale. 

Whether it is a hit or a miss, however, will not be general consensus, I expect. Some people will appreciate this movie as a pretty decent crossover horror/fantasy film, but others will complain that there isn’t enough action. And I agree. It was entertaining, though mildly engaging, and at times more relaxed than I would have liked. The best part about this movie, surprisingly, is the CGI incorporation. It’s closer to realism, it isn’t overbearing, and it makes the transformation from man to wolf that much more exciting. I would have liked to see the wolf aspect come sooner rather than later in the film, thus adding more fighting, more time spent getting to know his behaviors as a wolf, and much more character exploration than what we got. 

The Wolfman is a dark and chilling film, complete with remnants of the Old Hollywood horror undertone, but not as well written as it could have been. Nonetheless, Del Toro delivers a satisfying enough performance to leave bite-marks in the fantasy/horror genre. 

Rating: 3.9/5

This morning the lucky few nominees were unveiled, prefacing what is sure to be a legendary Academy Awards show, hosted by funnymen Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin (stars of It’s Complicated)- airing Sunday, March 7th (8pm/5pm PT).

Over the years, The Oscars have provided us with nothing short of quality television. We cried along with Halle Berry when she broke racial barriers with her “Best Actress” win for Monster’s Ball, and we laughed aloud at director Roberto Benigni’s chair jumping excitement after winning for Life Is Beautiful. And even if we weren’t born yet- we’ve certainly heard of Sally Field’s 1985 “You Like Me! You Really Like Me! ” speech. These, and many more moments (like Tom Hanks’ post Philadelphia win heartfelt speech, Denzel Washington’s much deserved win for Training Day), are the reasons why we love to watch The Oscars- and our favorite actors who win Hollywood’s highest honor. 

Upon request, I have provided the nominees to the top 6 categories, and my reasons for the winning predictions.

TGOT PREDICTIONS ~ OSCARS 2010

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Vera Farmiga – Up In The Air

Anna Kendrick- Up In The Air

Penelope Cruz- Nine

Mo’Nique- Precious

Maggie Gyllenhaal- Crazy Heart

AND THE TGOT PICK IS: Mo’Nique. Winner in the same category for both the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards, if Mo’Nique doesn’t win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, the Academy will have lost its mind. Nothing short of an amazing performance from the dramatic newcomer, Mo’Nique took on a completely different persona from what she’s used to- and proved just how perfect she was for Lee Daniel’s vision of Mary Jones. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Matt Damon- Invictus

Stanley Tucci- The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz- Inglorious Basterds

Woody Harrelson- The Messenger

Christopher Plummer- The Last Station

AND THE TGOT PICK IS: Christoph Waltz. If you have seen Inglorious Basterds, no performance is more captivating than that of Christoph Waltz’s. An extremely talented actor, Waltz handled Tarantino’s very tough material, and came across as the most convincing villain. Waltz is a sure pick for the Oscar, if we’re looking at consistency with SAG and Golden Globe wins. 

BEST ACTRESS

Meryl Streep- Julie & Julia

Sandra Bullock- The Blind Side

Gabourey Sidibe- Precious

Carey Mulligan- An Education

Helen Mirren- The Last Station

AND THE TGOT PICK IS: Meryl Streep (over a very close Sandra Bullock). I know,  I know… If we’re looking at trends with the past awards shows, Sandra Bullock has an equal, if not better chance at taking this one. Though the star of The Blind Side did a fantastic job, I think the overall movie quality of Julie & Julia, and the cohesiveness of Streep’s performance with the rest of the cast will be the reason why she will win this one, if she wins it. Now, if Bullock wins, I will not be the slightest bit surprised. No more TIES! 

BEST ACTOR

Jeff Bridges- Crazy Heart

Morgan Freeman- Invictus

Colin Firth- A Single Man

George Clooney- Up In The Air

Jeremy Renner- The Hurt Locker

AND THE TGOT PICK IS: Jeff Bridges. Why? Because he was phenomenal in this movie as the desolate country singer Bad Blake. And, because the Academy will acknowledge the dedication and commitment Bridges has given to Hollywood, without appropriate recognition. Four previous nominations, no wins. A great year with both Crazy Heart and The Men Who Stare At Goats…this is his time to shine, and it is well deserved. 

BEST DIRECTOR

James Cameron- Avatar

Kathryn Bigelow- The Hurt Locker

Jason Reitman- Up In The Air

Lee Daniels- Precious

Quentin Tarantino- Inglorious Basterds.

AND THE TGOT PICK IS: Kathryn Bigelow. Ex-husband James Cameron took “Best Director” at the Golden Globes, but Bigelow came up as a winner for the usually accurate Directors’ Guild Awards. What an amazing job Bigelow did with this movie. A stellar visionary, beautiful and talented work with war material. If she wins, she will be the first woman to win the Oscar for “Best Director”. 

BEST PICTURE

Inglorious Basterds

District 9

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Up In The Air

A Serious Man

An Education

Precious

Up 

The Blind Side

AND THE TGOT PICK IS: Avatar. (Over a very close The Hurt Locker).  This decision was EXTREMELY hard. But the numbers don’t lie here, and I think the Academy will listen to the record breaking resounding noise that is Avatar. I’m almost certain that the “Best Picture” and “Best Director” winners will not be from/for the same movie. I also think, that the chances for any of these movies are almost equal. I am thrilled to see District 9 replace NINE, because honestly, the Sci-Fi documentary style thriller deserves the recognition. That all being said, if either of my top two don’t get picked, I will be surprised, but not upset. Cheers to all 10 of these nomination being worth the money (and notice, the ones from the list that I did review all got good reviews from me!)

SNUBS & SURE THINGS.

There were a few Oscar snubs worth mentioning from the top six categories. First, notice that Crazy Heart’s Maggie Gyllenhaal replaced Basterds’ Diane Kruger for the “Best Supporting Actress” nod. Though Gyllenhaal did well in her role, I think Diane Kruger deserved the recognition that the Globes gave her. As mentioned before, NINE is not in the running for “Best Picture”, and District 9 is, and deserves to be. Also, Clint Eastwood did not get the nod for “Best Director”, though his leading men earned nods each for acting. Robert Downey Jr. and Sherlock Holmes were also snubbed from the top six, though the movie got a nomination for “Best Art Direction”, and RDJ got the Golden Globe win for “Best Actor”.  And finally, Star Trek- though it made a huge buzz at the box office, was not nominated in any of the top six creative categories. Instead, it got four overall Oscar nominations for technical work. 

The Hurt Locker and Avatar lead the nominations for this year’s show, though I expect Up In The Air and Inglorious Basterds to win for categories like “Best Cinematography” and “Best Adapted Screenplay”.  I expect The White Ribbon to win for “Best Foreign Film”, and The Cove to win “Best Documentary”. 

As I’m sure they were for any movie buff, these predictions were often hard to make, and required careful thought. Feel free to challenge my selections, because the difference in opinions will be evidence of the amazing year we’ve had in film. All of the nominated movies are worth watching at the very least, and the ones that win (granted I’m accurate) will certainly be deserving of the award.

Until The Red Carpet, 

C.A.M.

P.S.- For the FULL list of nominees and categories….go check out another site.