THE ROAD

I checked out the Book of Eli this weekend, Oops! I mean I watched a movie that reminded me much of the film. The Road is an under the radar film starring Viggo Mortensen revolving around the storyline of the aftermath of an apocalyptic event that is never necessarily understood or plainly stated. Viggo's character travels south with his tween son following the advisement of his recently passed wife. On their journey they experience the cold, lack of sufficient shelter or clothing, starvation, and the constant paranoia of being hunted by cannibals dressed as vicious bikers. The advantage The Road has over The Book of Eli is it's more believable plot and characters. Unfortunately, in this realistic sub-thriller the believability makes it sort of depressing, leaving rare moments of cheer.

Although, The Road presently exist in the shadow of The Book of Eli for it's more action packed scenes, it should not be overlooked for its greatness. The actors performed excellent, and the dedication of the main characters to both look and play the part are commendable. The father and son lose so much weight, that occasionally you can see just skin hanging on bones. There are other themes in both films that are apparent, but it's not worth going crazy over. Hollywood is a business. So studio's are going to compete. My advice. Check out the films and you decide which one is better.

Other contrasting films to check out:
The Prestige vs. The Illusionist

-Achmone

Scorsese Scores Again...

Innovative, poignant and full of suspense the dynamic diabolical duo known as Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio strike gold once again in the dramatic hit thriller “Shutter Island…”






The movie takes place in the mid 1900s not too long after the end of WWII. Leonardo DiCaprio plays an ex war veteran turned detective who possesses adroit skills of perception and a keen sense of awareness that many others lack in his field. The setting of the movie takes place right off the east coast of Massachusetts in a place known as Shutter Island….on this island is where the most dangerous of the mentally insane felons are kept within the US. It is here that the main story of the movie takes place and where DiCaprio is to find a missing resident who escaped her locked room as without a trace of her existence or location. Throughout his journey to find the missing resident, DiCaprio encounters many of the various dangerous insane felons, as well as numerous calamities as he gathers more and more information that eventually lead him to the ultimate truth an incredibly anticipated twist within the film….
As usual, I thought this film was another great movie from Martin Scorsese. Throughout the entire movie I was intrigued by the various characters used and each of their significant, yet pivotal roles in each scene. He builds the suspense and intensity throughout the entire movie right from the beginning, which kept me awake, entertained and guessing the next scene all along. Although there are some parts of the movie that are arguably slower than others, each of these moments are important as they lead up to the climax and eventual turning point that comes late in the movie at the lighthouse in the ocean. Once again I thought the movie was a good one and recommend it to anyone looking for a great mystery suspense/thriller type of film…..and as always come share your thoughts and let us know your take on Shutter Island! Until next time…
- KJ