I just wish they had been a bit more ambiguous with the ending. I mean, normally ambiguity makes me want to tear out my hair, but in this case I think I would have preferred to be left wondering.
Wondering what, you ask? Well, of course, the big question. Is he or isn't he? If you've watched it, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, what's wrong with you? Go watch the dang movie!
When you're finished, come back and discuss this statement with me: Mark Ruffalo is too This Century. Seeing him supposedly in 1954 is somehow anachronistic.
For the record, the only thing I can think of that would be creepier than a mystery in a mental institution is . . . a mystery in an abandoned mental institution. Like maybe this one. That looks like a place from my nightmares.
Shutter Island is such a wonderful movie. And I totally agree about Ruffalo; there's just something about him that firmly sets him within modern times.
ReplyDeleteWasn't it awesome, though! I hadn't expected much of it, which may have contributed to the amount of awesomeness, but I was quite impressed.
ReplyDeleteSo, you agree about Ruffalo--I haven't decided yet if that means we're right, or if it just means we're both weird. ;)
Kathy, I'm so glad you enjoyed Shutter Island! I love psychological thrillers too. And that picture of a mental institution is a bit unsettling...but I guess that's what gave the movie its spooky atmosphere! :)
ReplyDeleteI won't deny that I'm a bit weird, but still I'm going to go with it means we are both right. :)
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I haven't seen this movie but I lived near an abandoned mental institution for some time in Philly and it was creepy during the day!! Maybe I will rent it after your glowing review, but I am not big of scary movies.
ReplyDeleteElle--yes, the setting (and the storm!) definitely added to the ambience! Even though a lot of the mental institution looked as harmless as a college campus (from the outside, anyway).
ReplyDeleteTrisha--I can go with that. ;)
Mandy--I kind of avoided this movie at first for the same reason. It turned out to be a different type of scary than I expected. It was intense, but I didn't chew off all my fingernails or have nightmares afterwards. (Well, I did dream I was pregnant, which I guess could be a nightmare, but it wasn't caused by this movie.) ;) This movie kept me guessing and wondering and thinking rather than worrying that something was about to jump out me and sink an axe into my skull.
I haven't seen this movie yet-- but I have dreamed I was pg on occassion-- isn't that the weirdest thing ever...
ReplyDeleteOff-topic - I thought I had to recomment to confess: they say in the dream world, dreaming of being pregnant symbolises an impending death. Well, last month I dreamt I was, and surprise surprise, my mom got a phone call in the afternoon saying a relative had just died. I freaked out! Coincidence or not? :)
ReplyDeleteLesa--it was kind of funny in my dream because I thought I just had indigestion until I started seeing tiny foot-shaped protuberances on my belly. Then Hud went to the doctor to find out if I was pregnant. ;) Anyway--what will be REALLY weird is if you watch this movie, then dream you're pregnant too!!
ReplyDeleteOoooh, Elle, you have given me a shiver. I am going to keep my fingers crossed that it was a huge coincidence!!! I don't need impending death (mine or anyone else's).
I've had pg dream 2-3 times over the years and no one died! I've even dreamed I had a baby-- which is very weird too-- cause waking up I felt bereft-- it seemed so real.
ReplyDeleteJim has the movie so I'll try to watch it soon and report back.
Ahh...so the freakish stuff only happened to me (why me?!?). So I guess it was coincidence, a freaky coincidence, but that's a good thing. :)
ReplyDeletep.s. - I'm so sorry for scaring you guys! :0)
ReplyDeleteLesa--a relief to hear your pg dreams don't cause death. Maybe mine won't either. ;)
ReplyDeleteElle--Let's stick with freakish coincidence, so we won't fear to sleep, perchance to dream. Although a bit of a fright every now and then isn't a bad thing. Otherwise, I wouldn't have enjoyed the movie so much! ;)
Yes on the Ruffalo thing, but I can't put my finger on why.....
ReplyDeleteWell, that makes three of us now! I'd like to know why the casting director didn't ask for our advice. ;)
ReplyDeleteWell, this one is on it's way. I hope it doesn't scare the bejesus out of me or I'll have to shut it off!
ReplyDeleteMy bejesus are still intact, so you'll probably be OK. But I THINK YOU'LL LIKE IT!!
ReplyDeleteI loved it! The promos were all wrong for this movie, I thought it would scare me but it didn't at all. I didn't think Leo would do some hacker movie but I wasn't sure from those commercials!
ReplyDeleteAs for the ending I thought it was a bit ambiguous with his line "living as a monster or dying as a good man". Does he choose to pretend that he is still Teddy Daniels and let them lobotomize him, so that he can finally be free of his burden, or is he back in the loop? Everything else, I think had to be revealed before that to complete the movie.
I didn't mind Rufffalo, he didn't stand out to me in a bad way.
Yeah, definitely not a slasher movie. I don't like those much.
ReplyDeleteAs for the end--from what I recall--**SPOILERS**, of course--I thought he'd gone back to believing he was still a US Marshal rather than a patient, and they led him off for his lobotomy. I really never thought about how maybe he'd retained his handle on reality but was pretending he hadn't, so they would do the lobotomy which would keep him from slipping back into his imaginary world.
I don't remember the monster/good man quote . . . was dying even a question at that point? Obviously he would have died sometime (of old age if nothing else) but I don't recall him making a choice between living or dying. Though I guess your point was the monster/good man choice. Even that, though--was he really a monster in his delusional state? Would a lobotomy really make him a good man? Dunno, maybe it's just too late at night for me to think straight. That happens.
How funny, I thought you were going to write just the opposite. I thought you would say, of course he remembered, why else would he say that line and then walk straight to the men that wanted to lobotomize him.
ReplyDeleteDying was figurative, brain dead if you will.
I thought that was more interesting since they spent so much effort on the role play to try and help him without medication/surgery and it works, but they never know it because he just doesn't WANT to remember.
I have a feeling I'm going to have to watch this one again, too!! Just to see that last scene and decide what I think!
ReplyDeleteIt would be fun to see again, but I wasn't compelled to the way I was with Inception.
ReplyDeleteDid you happen to notice the similarities with Leo's character in both of those movies, particularly regarding his wife(s)?
I didn't notice similarities at all until you mentioned them!
ReplyDelete