Best Friend suggested a movie and so, it was only a few pennies to see "Shutter Island". Now, "Shutter Island" was a book I did not read, but much like "The Lovely Bones", it was popular and had a big following before the movie came out.

Two things are terribly wrong with the movie. First, the score by Robbie Robertson is one of the most intrusive I've ever heard. Clearly, a "Lighten Up, Francis" would have helped. And it could have been about 30 minutes shorter. OK, there are some spoilers coming.

Apparently, it's rather faithful to the book, so that means there is a whole lot of explaining to do. For Leonardo DiCaprio is not who he seems. Ben Kingsley is a psychiatrist (he must be, he has a pipe) at this island mental institution, and he doesn't believe in lobotomies. Leo is actually a patient and is participating in what Kingsley calls the most elaborate psychiatric exercise ever taken. Well, in 1954. Basically letting Leo play act his crazy beliefs in the hopes of reality hitting home and curing him.

Much like "Sixth Sense", there are clues if you look for them. An inmate waving to Leo as he goes up to visit Kingsley, allegedly for the first time. Mark Ruffalo hands over his gun to the deputy warden and struggles with it so much, he hands over his gun and holster. That's because he isn't Leo's partner and doesn't know guns, he's his doctor, assigned to him throughout this exercise to keep an eye on him. They refuse to let Leo look at any records, because he isn't a cop, although Ruffalo gets Leo's own admission record later on. So, we get lots of scenes where you have to decide is this part of his illness or is it reality?

Overall, it's just OK, because you have to work too much to figure out things. And it is exhausting to dissect it, although for sure, certain things will bug me for a while.

Meal of Links

Twelve events that will change everything. With appropriate music! Not a big fan of asteroid collisions.

My niece and I were reading "Sleeping Beauty" today. The original, let's say, is quite different.

Just released movies may get to your TV quicker. Hey, this is probably OK for families, but if you're a single, $20-$30 only 30 days after a release is still expensive. If you missed something you really wanted to see, maybe. But that price has to come down after 60 days to be worthwhile, because you'd still do better actually attending a theater.

Exercise Yard

If you were wondering where Indy qualifying was this weekend, it was on Versus. The last hour of Bump Day was the best it's been in a long time. Two cars pulled their already qualified times and both failed to make the field.

Carburetion Day is Friday. I just like saying that. On Versus, too. And I don't subscribe to calling it "Carb Day".

Visitor

None, on a sunny Sunday.