Shutter Island

[certainthings]

I watched it. I have spoilers, especially for the ending ... okay, pretty much all for the ending.

I enjoyed it. Mostly. But uh. I hate when they promote movies like that and voice over guy is all, 'With an ending you'll never see coming. Ever. It will shock and awe you. For realz,  yo.'

Because then ... the ending doesn't do that at all.

Leo's character being a patient? Not surprising.

Having Kate Winslet dreaming the whole thing? That would've surprised me.

Having Leo's character be an alien who was making all those people crazy? That too probably would've surpised me.

Having the whole thing take place in the belly of a whale? Might be suprising.

Right. So, I actually figured out not that long into the movie what the ending was but even when they revealed that he was in face a patient, I kept on waiting for something else to happen, for something more because surely that couldn't be all there was to it.

And a small part of me is still a little bit convinced that I missed something and there was a surprise, shock and awe, holy shit that just blew my mind - ending.

Comments

[nightowl81.livejournal.com]

My thoughts exactly ;)

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

:)

[onlywordsnow.livejournal.com]

Well, see, I didn't get the perception that he was actually a patient at all. I think that the point is that once you're on the island, you never get off of the island, and that he was tricked into believing he was a patient. Ruffalo's character, in my opinion, was sent on the boat because from the beginning the characters had two different details. Ruffalo's character was from somewhere other than where DiCaprio's character was told he would be from. I think that it is all plausible, both scenarios, but manipulation is a bitch.

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

I love this theory so very very much. I think I might adopt it.

[onlywordsnow.livejournal.com]

I'm game. The theory has a lot of character, I think.

[hkath.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I like onlywordsnow's theory. Much cooler. But I think people actually *will* be surprised, and I say that very cynically as someone who worked in a videostore for ten years. Audiences are dead dumb about those kinds of twist endings. Dude, when I went to see The Lake House with my co-worker (she forced me!) and I turned to her twenty minutes in and said, "The guy in the accident's gonna be Keanu," it completely blew her mind. To the point where after it turned out to *be* Keanu, she starting telling everyone she knew how I was, like, psychic or something. *facepalm*

Which is not to say she's not a smart girl! Just that I think a great majority of the audience of those kinds of movies don't actually like to think about structure or plot or any of those things. I don't know if it's that they want to be surprised, so they deliberately don't try to figure things out, or if they're just oblivious to the patterns that are obvious to the rest of us, but either way, it'll sell out its first 3 weekends at the videostores, no problem.

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

I agree with this because I'm certain I would have been surprised if Voice Over Guy hadn't told me that there was an "ending you'll never see coming." or however it was worded. Just. When someone says there's a surprise then it's a surprise, yanno?

[onlywordsnow.livejournal.com]

Psychological thrillers leave room for perception, that's why they're great.

[giantlovetingle.livejournal.com]

I knew I'd be spoiled when I read this so when I get around to watching it, I'm planning on pretending it's all happening in the belly of a whale. And possibly convince my Mum that Kate Winslet was dreaming it all up. This should be fun.

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

Hahaha. Good luck with that.

[cityphonelines.livejournal.com]

I was surprised, however I think that's because for some reason I was under the impression from the previews that there going to be more of a ghost story/supernatural aspect going on. One should really pay more attention to the previews, I suppose.

I'm also not the kind of person who tries to figure things out, I just ride the wave of a show or movie. I did really enjoy it and thought the costume department did an AMAZING job with the suits.

Plus, Michelle Williams was fab.

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

At first I thought it was going to be more of a ghost story as well but then after Voice Over Guy was all, 'Guess the ending, cos you won't.' I realized that probably wasn't it.

I usually don't try and figure things out either but a few minutes in, I was all, 'Oh, that's what that is.'

She really was/is.

[heartsonwings.livejournal.com]

Lol yep, the ending didn't leave me surprised at all. Pretty predictable really :/

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

Mmmhmm

[alwaysenduphere.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it, but I kinda wanted to, and then my mom came home from seeing it and she wasn't all about it. So I asked, half-joking, "What's so bad about it? Does it end with Leo being crazy?" And she just looked at me and said "How the hell did you know that?" So yeah, completely predictable.

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

Still a pretty entertaining movie.

[goingtoqueens.livejournal.com]

Okay, I've had theories from a few people that the shocking thing was supposed to be that Leo wasn't crazy. Something about his last line in the film and blah blah blah. I do not know!

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

I like this. I wish I could remember what his last line was.

[goingtoqueens.livejournal.com]

Thank Google for this. The last line is: Tell me something, is it better to live as a monster or die a good man?

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

Oh, hmm. I'm not sure if that leads me to believe that he wasn't actually crazy. I think if he'd said, "... or die an honest man." I might believe it.

[gwendolynmstacy.livejournal.com]

Yeah, don't get me wrong it was well done, but well the book spaced it out moreso than the film did. About halfway I figured it out in the book but in the film it just seemed like they told you right off (eg voice over) or maybe it was just because I had read the book so much.

But I thought they all looked fantastic costume wise and worked very well within what they had to work with from the script/book

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

They did look fantastic, I'll give them that.

I didn't know there was a book. I probably should've read that.

[gwendolynmstacy.livejournal.com]

They did.

This is that book

Also, I agree with you about LUX

[agt-league.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to say, I love your icon. :D

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It didn't turn out quite as nice as I would have liked but the quality was crappy to begin with and I ain't that skilled, yanno. :)

[agt-league.livejournal.com]

The quality was deff crappy. And pshhhh, you are definitely skilled tyvm. ;p <3

[pushingyouaway.livejournal.com]

ditto this entire review. i mean, i enjoyed it, but the ending kind of made me =/

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

Exactly.