Shutter Island, Harvey, The Grave of Fireflies, I Robot

Shutter Island

Martin Scorsese is one of the most consistently brilliant film makers ever. The majority of his previous films are considered classics, and he is heralded as 'the master of the mob movie'. This is why I was so anxious to see his latest epic, Shutter Island.

Moving away from the gangster genre, Shutter Island is a gripping thriller, revolving around two federal marshals (DiCaprio & Ruffalo) trying to track down an escaped mental patient from an isolated prison facility for the criminally insane. Needless to say it's not just as simple as that, and the story contains more than a few twists and turns along the way.

The plot is very intricate, with plenty of contingencies and detail, but also took me two viewings and a bit of reading to fully understand. It requires your full attention, and the ability to think back to various events in the past of DiCaprio's character in order to be fully appreciated. It could almost be described as a psychological jigsaw, and will stick in your mind long after the credits have rolled.

The film itself has an extremely well created foreboding atmosphere, helping to sustain the dark nature of the story. But in something that I have rarely seen as of late, this is maintained successfully from start to finish. From the opening scene of the island ferry emerging slowly from a thick aura of fog to the sound of its sombre horn, to the shot that closes the film, we are kept on the very edge of our seats in this surreal nightmare.

This film is not for everyone, and requires your undivided attention, but if you can sit it out, and process every bit of detail, the pay off can be very rewarding. With another good performance from DiCaprio, as well as great support from Ruffalo and Kingsley, this is definitely not one to be missed by film fans, and one of the best film plots we'll see this year.

Rating: 4/5.

Verdict: The good.

Harvey

I love James Stewart. I really do. I have yet to see a poor performance from him, and this may well be his most lovable and charming character to date yet. He plays the role of Elwood, a kindly and polite man with a taste for alcohol, who has an imaginary 6'3" white rabbit as a best friend. While this seems to inflict more trouble than good on the unsuspecting public and his hapless family, we are kept smiling throughout his various encounters, and the relationships he establishes.

In my opinion this is one of the finest, and light hearted comedies ever to grace the silver screen, and a bench mark for feel good films since. With a good story, great performances, and more laughs and smiles than you can count, I don't see how you could possibly want anything more from a comedy.

Rating: 4/5.

Verdict: The good.

The Grave of Fireflies

This is the most depressing film I have ever seen. That doesn't mean it's bad by any stretch of the imagination, but if you need cheering up, don't watch this - seriously. Revolving around the lives of Seita, and his younger sister Setsuko during the Japanese war, we see the hardships they endure, from death, to starvation, to destruction, and how their relationship grows stronger.

In comparison to other war films, which focus on the action war, this is much more poetic, and offers a refreshing and original change for those who appreciate love and beauty. While the film does have it's moments, it is almost exclusively based on the events outside the fighting. I doubt I will ever watch this film again, as I don't want to spoil its magic, but I highly recommend this to anyone who wants an insight into the harsh and sad realities of war.

Rating: 4/5.

Verdict: The good.

I, Robot

As far as blockbusters go, this is definitely one of the better ones we've seen in the last few years. With a good blend of sci-fi and action, a witty script and a good concept, this is an enjoyable and visual cinematic experience, which isn't meant to be taken too seriously. That being said, the film does touch up moral concepts and has a nice philosophical dimension to it, which is perhaps what sets it apart from the rest of the big budget explosion-fests.

However some elements do remain the same. Product placement. This film has lots of it. Audi and Converse are the main offenders, and there are still elements of the blockbuster with various bit of discomfited plot, and the fact the best performance of the film goes to the robot, with Will Smith comprising his usual role of Will Smith, not Del Spooner. But overall this is an enjoyable film, and provides an uplifting change from the usual Hollywood cannon fodder.

Rating: 4/5.

Verdict: The good.

So that's it. My first set of new reviews done. Hopefully they're better than previous attempts, and any feedback or disagreement (or agreement :]) would be appreciated it. As I've mentioned before as well, they all received a rating of 4, which may seem a little boring, but whilst I'm watching the IMDB top 250, expect more of the same. I'll try and mix it up though. Thanks for reading.

Dean