Many great parts, but overall, a smidge boring.

Rating: 7/10 (20 February 2010)

This is one of those rare films that only a genius could make. And having said that, I wasn't particularly *entertained* by it. In retrospect I realize there is a lot to it, a lot of implying, a lot of symbolism. Now, I like Scorcese, but I don't love Scorcese. The maestro can direct, no doubt, he can tell stories like none other, and he wields a camera like Davinci, but can he scare us? Not quite, though I don't think he meant to.
This is a movie that just oozes quality, its like a Mercedes, you ride around in a plush and finely crafted interior, but somewhere along the way you lost the feeling of being in control, the passion of driving.
To me the passion is missing in this film. I admire this film for its technical quality, but I was bored. I have two main issues with this film, first, no matter what the artistic intentions were, I disliked the music. It was either an unorthodox use of music in the narrative, or just plain over the top schlock. Second, the storytelling just fails to really engage. I never got caught up in the happenings on screen, in the emotional flow of fear or whatever this was supposed to do to us as we watch. It's broken up by strange dreams and hints and implications that ultimately add up to not really knowing anything, and maybe that was what was supposed to scare us, but I wasn't scared.
When you reach the end of the film, you've been brow beaten into a paranoid state where nothing can be trusted, and then voila' you are shown that everyone was just playing along in a little game. This is both disappointing and interesting to watch, but not frightening. Its more of a relief, all the questions have been answered...
So, in the end, all the questions are answered, that is good to know.