Be Very Wary of Your Reality in Shutter Island

When I first saw the trailer of "Shutter Island" last year, I was in a tizzy! Martin Scorsese - one of the greatest living directors of all time - with Leonardo DiCaprio in a thriller? Are you kidding? It's nothing short of an event! And for all the right reasons!

Writing even a movie capsule about it gives a lot of its story away thus I shall limit it here: U.S. marshals Teddy and Chuck (Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo, respectively) are sent to an island off the coast of Massachusetts where a facility exists to incarcerate violent crime offenders who are mentally incapacitated! A criminal has escaped and no traces of "her" has been found. But Teddy has more personal reasons for his visit. His wife and children were killed by someone who's in Shutter Island! Unfortunately for the marshals, the management and staff of the facility seem to be hiding something. They suspect that sinister activities are being performed on the patients. Just when they are to call off their investigation, a hurricane lashes out, trapping them in the island. Will they succeed in uncovering the secrets that cloak this island?

A hint? This is a Martin Scorsese film and essaying predictions or jumping into conclusions isn't as easy as watching a Star Cinema movie, that's for sure. LOL

Peppering this gritty thriller is an amazing cast that includes Ben Kingsley, Michael Caine, my favorite Patricia Clarkson (of "Cairo Time") and Michelle Williams. The setting is as sinister as the convolutions in the story, and there's the brilliant use of a hurricane to create an atmosphere of paranoia, claustrophobia and isolation! Leonardo DiCaprio is downright intense; when was he not? And I giggle every time I see Mark not because he's bad, but because he's as cute as ever - ohmygosh! Pardon the lady in me. ;->

Leonardo DiCaprio - intense as usual.

Mark Ruffalo - a marshal or a doctor? He was once diagnosed with a brain cancer - which turned out to be benign. After a brain surgery, he was completely healed although he is suffering from a minor facial paralysis due to the operation - that's where he gets this very sexy lopsided grin. ;->

Mark Ruffalo, who stands 5'9", understands the idea of patience. He worked as a bartender in New York for 9 long years - where he was said to have auditioned for some 800 roles - before luck finally came.

komiks nobela?

"sayang"

"rosa traced over her earlier ink marks, thickening the letters. the coffee was cold, the ice cream was melting, and something warm had nestled against her legs. it had been there for a couple of minutes."

"are you after ice cream?"

"no, where's dad?"

"stuck near united nations avenue. you want to call him?"

"yes."

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"she said that when she was a girl, she met two visayans who had seen Black Dog with their own eyes. and they were new to Luzon, so they didn't know the story already."


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these are excerpts from a 1998 novel - the tesseract - that i recently saw in the bookshelves. though it rather seems a little too late to feature, this was actually written by hip maverick author, alex garland, the british author who also wrote one of my favorite leonardo dicaprio films of all time, "the beach."

it's an interesting read. check it out if you can.

missing mel

"look at me. i am beautiful!"




my kulit brother was doing a marathon of lethal weapon films for the last 3 days or so, and i couldn't help but miss this australian dearie - mel gibson!


i just think that not a lot of actors possess his charisma on-screen and it is such a big waste that he spend most of his time off-screen these days, if at all! whatever happened to him! he is so blessed! yet we find him drunk and driving! spewing racial slurs! and all the things that a bad boy does. it really bothers me!

anyway, it's comforting to know that 3 films are in the works:

1. Martin Campbell's Edge of Darkness - A detective investigates the death of his daughter and, in the process, uncovers her secret life as well as a cover-up involving the corporate world and the government! Sounds interesting but haven't we had enough of good-cop-bad-cop dramas? Didn't Leonardo DiCaprio's "Body of Evidence" sink at the box office? (And oh, yes, I loved that DiCaprio movie! I'm just saying that it is doing bad business.) Campbell was responsible for the latest James Bond movie "Casino Royale" and Antonio Banderas' "The Legend of Zorro". He is also on production of "The Birds" - a remake of the 1963 Hitchcock masterpiece, which I can't wait to watch.

2. Under and Alone - The movie is set in Southern California where an ATF agent infiltrates the notorious Mongols motorcycle gang. Am not too crazy with bike flicks, but with Gibson in it, I will watch!

3. Sam and George - Here's the synopsis: Two old friends reunite after one of them (Gibson) is released from prison after serving twenty years for a crime he didn't commit. Gosh! These stories sound hackneyed and old! Oh well! Maybe it has a nicely written script!



Unfortunately for us, fans, Mel's comeback on-screen won't happen until mid-2009 or later. But then, good things come for those who wait!

mark strong's body of lies and deception

doesn't he look like christopher meloni?
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in leonardo dicaprio's body of lies, there was one actor who almost stole the thunder from leo and russell crowe, he was the amman intelligence chief who was suave, sexy and scary. the actor goes by the name of mark strong who i thought was of middle eastern descent.

boy! how could i be so wrong! mark strong is deliciously british!


Mark Strong is polygamous king Henry VIII in a British drama.