Leonardo DiCaprio and Michelle Williams in "Shutter Island"
courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment
“Leonardo Scores Again”

Leonardo DiCaprio has emerged as one of the stand out actors of his generation. When you combine his acting talent with the directing talent of Martin Scorcese you have a dynamic duo of director and actor. They have collaborated on several movies in the past but their latest, “Shutter Island,” which is now out on DVD, is their best effort yet. 

That is because in this film they have drawn upon the brilliant mind of writer Dennis Lehane and his story is enhanced by Scorcese’s directing and DiCaprio’s acting. The result is a movie that will haunt you long after you have viewed the film and its twists and turns will cause you to shudder at the memories that are left.

The film is set in the fifties and opens with Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Ruffalo) on a ferry headed for Shutter Island. The two men are federal agents who are being sent to investigate the disappearance of one of the inmates at the mental institution on the island. The woman Rachel (Emily Mortimer) was at the asylum because she had murdered her three children.

Once on the island things go from bad to worse. Teddy is still recovering from the death of his wife Dolores (Michelle Williams) and keeps hallucinating that he sees her. She was killed in a fire caused by an arsonist named Laeddis (Elias Koteas). Teddy has reason to think Laeddis might be on the island somewhere.

Their stay on the island is prolonged due to inclement weather. The ferry can not come back until the weather subsides, and Teddy doesn’t want to leave until the mystery of Rachel is solved. His investigation leads to more revelations the longer he is there.

The plot is so entwined and complex that no pre-revelations should be offered. The entertainment value of the script lies in its surprises – and there are many of them. Lehane, who also wrote “Mystic River” and “Gone Baby Gone,” knows how to twist and turn his events until the big reveal at the end.

DiCaprio is amazing in his role as Teddy. There is a panic stricken aspect to this character from the very beginning but DiCaprio keeps these fears contained until the appropriate time. It is a controlled performance but also his wildest role to date. The depth of his talent has never been this fully revealed.

Still DiCaprio could not have carried the weight of this film without the help of such solid actors as Ben Kingsley, Patricia Clarkson, Max von Sydow and Jackie Earle Haley as well as Williams, Mortimer and Koteas. Each person gives just the right touch to a thriller that is so riveting the audience suspends rational thinking.

Scorcese keeps a tight rein on his story and his actors, steering them in a way that enables them to give nearly perfect depictions of their characters. He also is patient in allowing the different facets of the plot to emerge in their own time.

This is a chilling film in its look and its storyline. The acting and the direction are first rate but it is Lehane’s creepy story that makes it the viewing pleasure that it is. Be sure you set aside time to watch this DVD without interruption.

Another good DVD is “From Paris With Love” which shows you a wild and crazy side of John Travolta you have not seen before. You may have thought you had seen it all when he played a woman in “Hairspray” or even when he played good and bad roles in “Face/Off.” Then there was his career starting role as the singing/dancing Danny in “Grease.” But in “From Paris With Love” he out does all his other roles as he plays a profanity spewing killing machine named Charlie Wax.

The focus in “From Paris With Love” is on diplomatic attaché and CIA trainee James Reece (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). He lives in Paris with his girlfriend Caroline (Kasia Smutniak) and works for Ambassador Bennington (Richard Durden). He also moonlights as a CIA trainee of sorts.

One day he gets a call saying he is going to be partnered with Charlie Wax. Once the two men meet up at the airport the profanity starts spewing and the action takes off. It is a wild race from this point on with the body count mounting as Wax moves through Paris. This guy takes no prisoners and has a gleeful time doing his dirty work.

The great thing about this movie is it is so action packed. You might even say action stuffed. There are very few moments between gun blasts and car chases, and sometimes a combination of the two. Director Pierre Morel (“Taken”) knows how to keep the pedal to the metal and you will be gasping for breath by the time you reach the end of the film. Plus there are some amazing plot twists and turns that you might not see coming.

Travolta attacks this role with enthusiasm and macho mania. He is convincing in the acting department as well as in the physical activity requirements. Charlie is a one man killing machine and Travolta acts the role with gusto. Opposite him Rhys Meyers takes a little longer to adjust to but he makes it work in the end. By the time you leave the theater you realize you would be up for a sequel with these two partnering up one more time.

You will probably also want to see more of Smutniak (bad marquee name and all). She is an Audrey Hepburn look alike who adds some sex appeal to the film. She and Rhys Meyers have good chemistry together.

There is something to be said for mindless entertainment like “From Paris With Love.” You pop in the DVD, sit down and let the action take you away. You won’t burn a lot of brain cells trying to figure out the plot because it is really just coincidental. The fun of the film is watching Travolta go crazy and chew up the scenery. He looks like he is having a helluva time and you will too.

So watch “From Paris With Love” and let the action and the excitement take you away from the worries of your world. Travolta plays a foul-mouthed government killer on a spree in Paree. He’s having a ball and so will you.

Also out this week is “Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Seventh Season.” All ten episodes are included in this 2-Disc set. Larry David is his usual irascible self and this one has the bonus of being the season when the entire Seinfeld: cast came on the show for a reunion.

Larry David is an acquired taste but for everyone who has fallen under his spell this is a chance to see some of the best comedy presented on TV this year. His personality has been described as off-kilter and it surely is but underneath there is something likable about the guy.

So far many hours of watchable, enjoyable entertainment get “Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Seventh Season.” The bonus content only adds to the enjoyment.

You will also want to check out “Nip/Tuck: The Sixth and Final Season.” Yes, the trials and tribulations of Drs McNamara and Troy (Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon) are coming to an end. After endless sexual escapades and bizarre adventures, this past season was the last – and now it is available on DVD.

When you watch the final episode you might not find it all ends the way you want it to, but you will feel a sense of completion. At least I did and that was all I needed from a show that has been a roller coaster ride from the very beginning.
 

 

 

 

 

©2010 Jackie K. Cooper

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