Flick Notes

Starring:James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Tom Wilkinson, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Justin Long. Drected by Robert Redford. Drama/Historical. Synopsis: A version of the story of Mary Suratt, one of the convicted conspirators in the assassination of Presdient Lincoln and the first woman to be executed by the federal goverment in the United States. 

Saw this one on the big screen over the weekend and have to say it's a good one. I'll cut to the chase on an issue that is always out there whenever there and about the Civil War in particular: the treatment of the issue of slavery. Know going in that The Conspirator does not deal with it-barely mentions it-at all.

In full disclosure of my feelings on the issue as it relates to its treatment in movies and the public media, I think those who pretend the issue wasn't the cause of the war or doesn't resonate to this day is, frankly, willfully ignoring voluminous history.

Having said, that I do also think its somewhat unfair to expect this movie, or any movie, to deal with every aspect of the Civil War-or any other historical topic-, and it's certainly impossible for any flick to deal with any topic to everyone's content.

This flick deals with one aspect, and one aspect only, of the conspiracy to assassinate and the actual murder of President Lincoln.That issue is the arrest, trial, and eventual execution of Mary Surratt, owner of a boardinghouse where the men who conspired to first kidnap and then kill President Lincoln met and used as quarters. The movie also goes into another aspect of this murder plot by touching base on the less well known fact that there was a plan in place to kill Secretary of State Seward and Vice President Johnson on the same night as Lincoln.

The flick moves quickly into the events of April 14, 1865 and tells us the tale through use of a montage of shots I found visually appealing and effective. I will say, however, that I do think one has to be somewhat familiar with the players and events of the night to get the full impact because there is little explanation by way of plot development 

Oh, sure, everyone knows Booth shot Lincoln but, trust me, this action literally takes a few seconds (as a point of fact, we never even see a frontal shot of the actor playing Lincoln) and then on to the meat of the story; the aftermath of the assassination and Mary Surratt's (Robin Wright State of Play The Pledge)  arrest and the lingering question-both then and now-of her actual involvement in the conspiracy.

Our other protagonist is Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy Atonement) who we first see in an opening scene view of a grim battlefield as the Union officer, bleedging profusely, is concerned only with literally trying to hold and talk his wounded friend, Nicholas Baker (Justin Long Drag Me To Hell) 

Once baack in Washington, D.C. after both the war and the assassination, Aiken is a new practicing attorney whose mentor is Connecticut senator Reverdy Johnson (Tom Wilkinson Valkyrie) who wants to see Surratt get a fairer trial than the military tribunal ordered by our movie's antagonist, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (Kevin Kline The Pink Panther). It seems that a true blue Yankee like Aiken will ensure a fairer consideration from the tribunal towards Surratt than a Union southerner like Johnson.

Aiken is reluctant to say the least, at first but is diligent in trying to first understand and then represent the reluctant Surratt. The (historically arguable) main premise of the flick is that the U.S. government was persecuting Mary Surratt chiefly to put pressure on her fugitive son, John, was clearly a conspirator as well. Aiken also comes to know the other Surratt child, a daughter who is under house arrest during the time of her mother's trial (Evan Rachel Wood The Wrestler) And, of course, he comes to empathize and, frankly, do one hell of a job in defending his client.

The acting is splendid. Wright, in addition to looking almost exactly like Mary Surratt in the few surviving pictures, does a wonderful job of making us really emphathize with her more as a person and a mother than I would have expected. McAvoy is very good, too, real earnest as a rue blood Yankee and very convincing as a young lawyer on his feet in tough criminal case (been there, done that a few dozen times myself).

The chemistry between Wright and McAvoy is key to making the flick work and I think they nailed it. There is tension and tenderness at the appropriate times and, thankfully, Redford did not succumb to the typical Hollywood temptation to construct or imply any romantic connection where none actually existed.

In my opinion, Kline deserves special note for his portrayal of Stanton, clear set up as the antagonist (again, historically arguable) in this telling of the story. I think those fans who identify the best of his work with comedic roles will be pleasantly surprised here (and don't feel too bad if you don't realize its Kline right away, I was about 15 minutes into the flick before I leaned over to my date and said "Is that Kevin Kline?")  

I have to give another shout out to the actor playing the leader of the military tribunal (Colm Meaney Five Fingers The Damned United). This guy is fast becoming one my favorite all time character actors...as well as one of the best. If there are records kept for a category of "stealing the scene with fewest minutes of screen time" , Mr. Meaney has to be near the top. He's got that much of a screen presence.

I liked the flick and I think you will, too, but I can't include it as one of my faves, chiefly because it is a little to sympathetic, in my humble opinion, to people who were, without a doubt, involved in the plot to assassinate Lincoln.

The idea, as strongly implied by the flick, that Mary Surratt was completely unaware of anything at all and was only trying to protect her son (who was being ably protected and hidden by significant higher ups of the Catholic Church) is, to put it mildly, a huge stretch and think that those who have, or will, look at her case would fairly conclude that she was definitely complicit in both the planning of the kidnappning and eventual murder of the President.

Also, even at the time of her trial, sentiment about her innocence was minimal. The question then and the real issue that extends until today is whether or not she should have been executed.   

So, my main reason for not including it among my faves is what I deem to be a little too much sympathy for certain people, somethng that has been going on in the popular culture in terms of "Confederate worship" (my term) for decades. I know some won't agree with me, but I'm heartened that I'm not the only one. Look, there is no doubt that it is difficult to criticize the movie when it comes to hard, cold, historical facts.

The care taken to be accurate on certain interesting & important facts is to be commended, e.g. the fact that Booth barred the door to the Presidential box, the absence of the Presiden't bodyguard from his post, the chase given to Booth by members of the cast of the play Lincoln was watching, the fact that Lincoln was so tall that they had to lay him diagonally to fit on his death bed, the fact that the entire cast of the play was detained for questioning, the 'lynch mob' atmosphere that struck many unfortunate men who bore a resemblance to Booth, Mary Surratt's extreme illness due to h her menstrual cycle during the trial, the care given to keep the sun off of her face for comfort-and no one else's-with a parasol against the sun minutes before hanging her... and it goes on...all facts portrayed historically accurate in the movie, added without distracting from the story this particular flick wanted to tell.

So, why am I not categorizing it as historically brilliant? Two words. John Clampitt. Who is he, you might ask? Well, he is the lawyer who defended Mary Surratt along with Fredrick Aiken. And who played him in the movie, you might ask? No one. Do I mean he was portrayed, but uncredited? Nope, no one. Completely whisked from history in this version. So, yeah a little tough for me to give the flick the highest historical mark with that big of an ommission.

Some will undoubtedly say, and have said, that this film is allegorical to the present day situation with military trials and Guantonomo with its theme being the view of the politically outspoken Redford. I can't go quite that far. This event really happened. How one interprets it is one thing, but the idea it could be used to prove a point about a situation with an entirely different set of circumstances is a stretch to me.

Much to my chagrin, I don't know Mr. Redford (I'm going to guess that most making the criticism don't either) and I won't deny his well known political views might have influenced his decision to tell this particular story, but when you tell a story and are accurate with the facts I don't see it as allegorical. My slight problem is how some of those facts are portrayed and the decision to ignore or downplay some others.

I would be surprised if we don't hear some chatter about The Conspirator come Oscar time.      

Starring: Mark Whalberg, Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee, Mickey O'Keefe, Drama/Sports/Biographical. Directed by David O.Russell.

Synopsis: The true story of professional fighter Mickey Ward and his journey to the champoionship with both the help and hindrance of his drug addicted older brother, a former fighter, and his manager mother and extended family. 

The first thing I'd like to say is that, in my humble opinion, The Fighter both is and is not, a sports movie. And, I mean that as a high compliment. Sure, there is nothing wrong in watching a flick about sports, hell I love sports and I love flicks so I'm with you there.

It's just that The Fighter is so much more because it taps into family and close personal relationships at so many levels. The fact that it's based on a true story, of course, makes it all the more powerful.

Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg The Departed) is a fighter who has championship aspirations but is nearing the end of the line as he is well into his 30s, not old for anything in the world except trying to win a championship belt.

He is, in a manner of speaking, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale Public Enemies),- same Mom, different Dads-who was a talented welterweight who went the distance with Sugar Ray Leonard and even knocked him down (or not, maybe the great Leonard actually slipped, this is a key point of  contention throughout the story).

Dicky is his trainer, Mom Alice (Melissa Leo Righteous Kill) is his manager,his six sisters are close by to cheer him on, and his Dad (Jack McGee The Man Who Wasn't There) is firmly behind him, too. On top of that, he has just met a woman (Amy Adams Doubt) and she could be the one. 

Everything should be hunky-dory, right? Well, not so fast. Big bro Dicky is a crackhead who is often AWOL when it comes time to train Mickey , and manager Mom means well, but may not have the contacts or in depth knowledge necessary to land him a championship bout. And, as if that's not enough, suffice it to say that Mom and Mickey's sisters aren't the biggest fans of Mickey's new squeeze, who is also adamant about Mickey getting a new trainer (Mickey O'Keefe playing himself and doing a nice job) and a new manager if he is going to grab that brass ring.

And where is Mickey in all of this? Well, he loves his Mom, his bro, his girlfriend, Mickey O'Keefe, and everyone else. Hence, we have conflict and, as you might think, a movie.

A very good movie, made all the moreso because it is a true story. This is, if you will, a sports movie, but like all great sports movies, it is really about deeper things with sports as the backdrop. The boxing scenes are legit (with footage of the real Dicky spliced in perfectly) and those of you who are familiar with the sport can buy Walhberg as a fighter.  The story is powerful and, even if you're not familiar with the real story, you will pull wholeheartedly for Mickey, but it's not as if the other characters are 'bad guys', I predict you'll like them, too. 

The acting is wonderful, Bale and Leo certainly deserved the accolades they received   for their performances,(Bale is solidly making his case for being a truly great actor and one of the best) but its important to note how strong I thought Wahlberg and Adams-who is really the crux of the flick-do in their roles.  

Listen, this flick got a lot of hype and rightfully so. You've heard about it and most of the good things you have heard are true. Now, go see it for yourself.

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert DeNiro, Anna Friel. Directed by Neal Burger. Drama/Sci-Fi. Synopsis: A struggling writer who is also unlucky in love tries an unknown drug given to him by his former brother in law and finds that it results in his being ultra focused and able to process all information that he has ever taken in. He puts this to good use initially, but his increasing reliance on the drug, as well as those who don't want him to have it soon pose life threatening problems.

Caught this one on the big screen the other day and glad I did. With the exhorbitant cost of the theather experience these days, I'm fairly admannt about really enjoying a flick I'm going to pony up the big bucks for like I did for Limitless.

Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper Failure To Launch, Midnight Meat Train) is a struggling artist-writer-living in New York City who has just been dumped by his girlfriend. (Abbie Cornish Stop Loss) It sounds like a bummer, and it is, but being the movies, you know there might just be a chance for him to redeem himself, and wouldn't you know it, there is and he does.

As can often happen to most of us (at least on the big screen) when we're scraping rock bottom, a chance pass by on the streets of Manhattan can lead to big things and it does here for Eddie as he bumps into his ex brother in law (Johnny Whitworth) who both gives him some dirt on his ex-wife and, most importantly, gives him a clear pill that he promises will make Eddie feel better.

Eddie is skeptical but he does take the plunge and, if you can believe it, this turns out to be one of those rare times when your ex-brother in law is right. After taking the pill, Eddie is able to focus to an extreme degree as well as instantly organize and recall anything and everything he's ever learned instantly and coherently. Obviously, he is going want some more of this mystery drug, which he finds out from his ex-bro-in-law is named NZT. His first indication that this is a drug made or desired by some unsavory people is when his brother in law is murdered within minutes of seeing Eddie. Fortunately for Eddie, and the plot, he is able to find a healthy stash of NZT and a wad of cash to get things going.

As you might guess, this kind of thing can really help a guy out and Eddie quickly has his book finished and is making money exponentially as  a day trader. As you might guess this makes him kind of an instant celebrity and Eddie enjoys the additional friendship and increased attention from females.

As Eddie becomes a well known phenom in the financial world, he catches the eye of Carl Van Loon (Robert DeNiro Taxi Driver, Men Of Honor) a multi-millionaire businessman with his eye on making billions in a huge corporate merger who wants Eddie to be his ace in the hole.

All isn't completely rosy, as you might guess, as there are some scary people who seem to know about NZT; the guy who seems to be following Eddie literally all over town as well as the Russian loan shark (Andrew Howard) What's worse is Eddie realizing how dangerous it can be to take too much NZT and how low the crashes can be.

This is brought home in one of the more powerful scenes in the movie, where Eddie meets with his ex-wife (Anna Friel Irish Jam) who sets him straight on the realities of NZT and why he should get off of it.

Look, there is little in this flick you haven't seen before, though probably in different variations or incantations than a miracle drug. What makes this work so well is how well the story is put together and, more importantly, we really empathize and root for Eddie, which is a testament to how good of a job Cooper did here because the whole question, in my humble opinion, of whether or not you'll like the flick is if you like the main character, at least as some level. It also helps having an all timer like DeNiro as your major secondary character but, make no mistake, this is Cooper's movie and he does well.

I also thought Burger did a good job with the pacing of the movie, and casting was excellent in the aforementioned minor roles, but I should also mention two well known (their faces anyway) character actors who do well in their short screen time Robert John Burke (Thinner, Cop Land) and Ned Eisenberg (A Civil Action, Primary Colors).

There is an ambiguous ending in terms of the 'did they live happily ever after' question, but I like that type of ending when its done well. My big complaints about the film are what I think is a big plot hole in the first meeting scene with Van Loon and an unresolved issue of a murder possibly involving Eddie. I thought those two things kept the flick from being excellent, but maybe I'm just being picky.

Definitely worth the night out or the matinee. 

Starring: Billy Bob Thornthon, Frances McDormand, James Gandolfini, Tony Shalhoub, Scarlett Johansson. Drama/Comedy Directed by the Coen brothers.Synopsis: A barber in 1949 California suspects his wife might be cheating on him and uses this to blackmail her paramour in an attempt to get some money for a business investment, but things don't go exactly as planned and lead to unforseen consequences.  

Say what you will about Billy Bob Thornton (Chrystal), the man is extremely talented and in terms of pure acting, he is just as good than all but a very few.

In The Man Who Wasn't There, he reivents himself again, this time as a nondescript, slightly dull, "average Joe" barber named Ed Crane. His life is fairly straightforward, told perfectly in the black and white of the film and Thornton's dry narration throughout.

The only thing even remotely interesting about barber Ed Crane's life is the fact that he is pretty sure his wife (Frances McDormand Aeonflux) is having an affair with her boss, (James Gandolfini The Taking Of Pelham 123), Big Dave a gregarious fellow who revels in telling World War II stories and is married to money.

Frankly, Ed seems fairly ambivalent about the possible affair, but when an opportunity presents itself to get involved in a business venture that will corner the market on the new technique of dry cleaning...well, Ed sees an opportunity to get the 10 grand he needs to invest in the business of the future.

So, a little anonymous blackmail to his wife's lover, quick 10 grand to invest, and everything should be hunky dory, right? Well, as you might guess, things don't often go according to plan in a blackmail scheme (particularly in a movie) and, though Ed gets his 10 grand, let's just say things get kind of messy and Big Dave ends up dead and Ed's wife is charged with the murder which, of course, means that a high priced defense lawyer (Tony Shalhoub Primary Colors)  has to be brought in to defend her at significant cost.

Now, right now, this likely doesn't seem to like too much of a comedy but, trust me, the humor is there, it is very, very dry and very, very dark. But, frankly, I think this flick is as comedic as anything else, a kind of sardonic look at life through the eyes of someone with absolutely nothing special about him, and no real feelings of negativity towards anyone else so much as a desire to get something better out of life. But, in such a way as kind of assuming there must be something better, if for no other reason than he probably kind of deserves it.

Personally, I find this kind of 'looking for something better' theme kind of a staple of Coen brothers films, and a very good comedic tool. Billy Bob is just wonderful in this one in his understated role, and all the other main players carry their weight, too. Look for Scarlett Johansson (The Spirit) is the quintessential "Lolita" or 'young siren' role and look for her last scene with Billy Bob to take you somewhere you didn't expect to go in this film. 

Overall, I liked it and I think if you like Billy Bob Thornton, you will like this flick, too.     

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Sheen, Carrie Anne Moss, Martin Donavan. Directed by Gregor Jordan. Drama/Political. Synopsis: An American citizen and Army veteran turned Muslim is threatening the United States with nuclear weapons. A FBI team works with a mysterious anti-terrorism agent to find out the whereabouts of the bombs before they are set to explode.

This flick is intense. Real intense. The subject matter, domestic terrorism, is enough of a hot potato right there and the three main actors all bring their 'A' game to the table here.

Stuart Arthur Younger (Michael Sheen Damned United  Frost/Nixon) is an American born Army veteran who has become a Muslim and, though he claims to love his country, is now threatening to set of three nuclear bombs in urban areas throughout the country unless his demands are met. Most disturbingly, due to some knowledge he gained and access he had while he was in the Army, he has thed material and know how to do it.   

Our counter-terrorism team of FBI Agents, Brody (Carrie Anne Moss Suspect Zero) and Saunders (Martin Donavan The Sentinel Insomnia) are stunned to find out about this terrorist from the news, of all places, and then go hell bent for leather to prepare to find him with the help of some mysterious classified information that falls in their lap, pointing the Bureau to a mysterious figure who calls himself "H". (Samuel L. Jackson The Spirit  The Incredibles)

H seems to be family man on the outside, but the trouble the FBI has in bringing him in makes obvious that he has serious classified government connnections and, in fact, he is a counter terrorism interrogation expert.

Why do they need H at this point, you might ask? Well, because the government already does have the terrorist in custody at a classified location, something known only to a small group of soldiers, our FBI team, and a few high ranking government officials.

What we see next is the progression of the 'work' of H, basically, he's the American answer to the terrorists....the torturer of those who would torture. In other words he's the one willing to do things in the name of national security that are...unthinkable.

This whole story is basically a morality tale, and one which happens to be etremely well written, directed, and acted. How far is it morally acceptable to go to save innocent lives? Do the ends of torture justify the means? Has a society lost its moral compass-and therefore the battle-when it engages in the tactics of terrorists and torturers, or is that simply what it must do to survive?

As I said, the three primary characters in this flick: H, Younger, and Agent Brody, were all superbly acted but, I need to give my primary shout out to Ms. Moss who had to be the moral opposite between the two pillars of evil, and had to not get blown off the screen by Mr. Sheen and Mr. Jackson, two actors who tend to do that to others in their movies. She doesn't, to say the least.

In fact, her character is the most layered and emphathetic, perhaps by design, but she still had to pull it off and she did. I highly recommend this film for anyone with any interest in geopolitical hot button issues, or if you just want to see a hell of a good flick.

I must warn you, however, there are some scenes of torture some might find disturbing both in terms of the act itself and who is being threatened. Trust me, it's nothing compared to the blood letting you will see in your run of the mill gore film these days, but some could be shocked in this type of film if you're not a little bit prepared.

Hopefully, I just did that.     

Starring: Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis, Gary Oldman, Jennifer Beals, MIchael Gambon, Malcolm McDowell. Directed by The Hughes Brothers.Sci-Fi, Adventure. Synopsis: A wise and grizzled traveler makes his way westward on foot for years in a post apocalyptic and desolate American landscape, alll the while carrying and guarding a mysterious book.

Now, this one was a little bit different. The setting has been done before, post apocalypse/ nuclear war America, but I thought the flow of the story, not to mention the not-so-subtle underlying theme was kind of unique.

Eli (Denzel Washington The Manchurian Candidate  Inside Man) is a traveler who is walking across the country, going westward on foot, as he has been for the thirty or so years after "the flash", which is what everyone calls the huge event that, apparently, has made life what is at this time: desolate,  unforgiving and ravaged landscape with no rule of law or real societal structure. Many seemingly do not even seem to recall what life was like prior to the flash.

And, why is our protagonist trudging on foot? Well, the primary reason is that he has heard a calling to do so and he is a man of immense faith. The other is that the days of public transportation and in tact highways and biways are long gone. Eli carries with him a book, a large leather bound one and he is, to say the least, extremely protective of it. It seems obvious that some people would go to any lengths to get it. 

As you might surmise, such a breakdown in society will foster lawlessness and Eli has to fight off marauders and looters often...even when he comes to a town that appears to be relatively civilized.  

The town is run, effectively, by tough guy Carnegie (Gary Oldman Air Force One, The Contender)  who takes a very keen interest in obtaining Eli's book. He'll apparently stop at nothing, to the point of attempting to use his paramour, Claudia (Jennifer Beals Break A Leg Desolation Sound).  Attempts to pry the book, or any real information about it, from Eli prove unsuccessful, but Claudia's daughter, Solaris (Mila Kunis Extract Max Payne) is so fascinated by the mysterious Eli that she drops everything to follow him.

Eli, despite saving Solaris's life, is none to pleased to have her tag along but he eventually goes along with her presence reluctantly, though he is just as admant about not letting her look or touch the book nor will he tell her what it is or teach her to read. 

The Book of Eli is, in many ways, a very dark movie. The Hughes brothers do a great job of visually showing us a stark and decimated landscape where many people still bear the physical scars of what we presume was a nuclear holocaust, as well as some of the cultural and emotional ones as well.

For example, three decades after the "flash" there are a significant number of people who can't read, many of the younger ones have never seen a book.  Why is Eli's book so important and what will Carnegie do if/when he is able to get his hands on it?

There is a major reveal at the conclusion of the movie and, in my humble opinion, how you feel about the way the reveal is set up will likely be how you feel about the flick as a whole. For me, this is a good, not great film. I do think some might be turned off by the strong spiritual undertones of the film but, to be honest, in my opinion you can pretty much tell from the title what you're in for with this flick.  I'll probably never fully understand those who are so threatened by people who feel there things bigger-much bigger...incomprehensibly bigger...than  themselves and their immediate desires and needs.

Oh well, what the hell do I know, I just blog about flicks!

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Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley, Max Von Sydow, Ted Levine, Jackie Earle Haley, Patricia Clarkson Drama/Suspense. Directed by Martin Scorsese. Synopsis: In 1950's Massachusetts, a U.S. Marshal and his partner are sent to an island off the coast of the mainland to investigate the disappearance of a woman convicted of murder from a hospital for the criminally insane when he begins to suspect that there is something secretly evil happening at the hospital and he is determined to find out what it is and to stop it.

Very, very powerful adaptation of a novel that is visually stunning and disturbing in one of Scorsese's best, in my opinion, which is saying a hell of a lot.

First, Shutter Island just looks creepy, uncomfortable, and disturbing which, of course, is the way its supposed to look. This is important because, right from the get go, you get a sense of foreboding as two U.S. Marshals, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio Gangs Of New York)   and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo The Zodiac) are bouncing around on a little boat on their way out to the island, a prison for the criminally insane, where they are going to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a female inmate who is alleged to have drowned her children. (Emily Mortimer The Pink Panther) 

Right from the beginning the tension between the staaff and our Marshals is palpable, we get the feeling something else is going on here, but what? What are the people who are running this island asylum for the insane trying to hide? No creepy film noir psycho thriller set in a asylum for the criminally insane  would be complete without 1) a hellacious thunderstorm which basically puts the place in lockdown mode 2) menancing, yet debonair doctors. We have both in Shutter Island. 

And, our two creepy doctors literally couldn't be any better, with one being the evident sadistic genius behind whatever is going on (Ben Kingsley Suspect Zero)  and, of course the evil former Nazi doctor (Max Von Sydow The Exorcist) 

You need to understand that this is a hard movie to review in the sense of doing it justice. You will realize early on that you are to see this entire story unfold from Teddy's point of view, complete with the violent and disturbing flashbacks to his experiences in World War II. I will repeat that little clue once more because it's important...you're seeing everything from Teddy's point of view.

Is there a "twist" or big time "reveal" coming in this one? Of course there is, but you'll know that from the second the opening credits roll. The key to an effective psychological thriller that will stand the test of time, in my opinion, is this: let's say you firgure out or guess the 'reveal' before the end of the flick...will you still enjoy the movie? I don't think there is any question that answer is a yes for Shutter Island.  Now, having said that, I didn't figure out the 'twist' early, though I can say I wasn't far off and I'm sure that some of you will guess it early on...my point is I believe that is no fault of the movie, which does, in my opinion stay faithful to the twist and you'll find it to be consistent upon a second viewing.

The aacting is wonderful but I don't want to waste too much of your precious time telling you the obvious: Kingsley, Von Sydow, and DiCaprio are wonderful actors, yada yada....you know that and they don't disappoint.

I do think a special shout out is due, however for the scene stealing performances of two well known character actors whose relatively small parts were essential to the story. Jackie Earle Haley (Fragments) and Patricia Clarkson (The Woods) are exceptional during their short time on screen.

I also think Mr. Ruffalo's somewhat understated and reactive performance can be appreciated much more after the twist is made clear to the viewer.

A solid thriller from one of the best directors walking around out there. A solid must see, in my opinion.