yeah i didn't see it last week like i intended to.
i saw it TODAY!
with 2 other people in the theatre, it was wonderfully cavernous and the perfect atmosphere to take on this movie.
Here's the difference, Grid, about why this movie is better than an m. night film:
The payoff.
It not only makes sense, and is thematically consistent with the entire narrative, it's also not CHEAP. It doesn't throw off what you've been suspecting all along--and when everything is realized, it's not something that wasn't set up from the very beginning. Throughout the film, Di Caprio's character is plagued with nightmarish visions that explain something about what ultimately he has to make a decision about.
The film's theme about sort of being our own prisoner and torturing ourselves is perfectly answered in the end. I liked that. I like that because it's the ONLY way this movie could have worked.
The film's atmosphere is wonderfully directed and the pace is good. Unless you're actively trying to figure out what's going on (which really isn't that difficult--it does take place in a MENTAL HOSPITAL), you won't be pulling your hair out waiting for the next clue or payoff. If you let the narrative take you on the journey, it all leads you to the same place.
The acting is impressive. It's about time Kingsley does something reputable. And Di Caprio is finally showing signs of growth as an actor, showing more range AND an ability to tone down an accent enough to not make it obnoxious and over the top. Ruffalo is good, too (I don't find him annoying), and the scene with Jackie Earl Haley (Rorschach from "Watchmen") is mesmerizing. That guy is something special. Even Michelle Williams conjures up a good performance.
All in all, it's a well made film. Maybe not one you need to see more than once, but a second viewing would probably illuminate other things that could be missed from the first.

out of
