Interesting

Rating: 5/10 (7 April 2012)

This movie has made me realize that I have a hard time connecting with Leonardo Dicaprio. He doesn't invite me into his head so I can share his emotions and motivations; I just have to guess what's going on by what he does. I felt the same way about J Edgar and Inception, but I've just now realized it consciously.
LD was, from this perspective, a bad choice for the lead role in Shutter Island, because I ended up not really caring what happened to him. I was intrigued, confused and "creeped out" by his surrealistic fantasy experience, but I didn't feel invested in the outcome. I was merely interested -- merely a spectator. Of course it's unreasonable to expect a movie to do more -- to trick you into becoming personally involved in the story -- after all, it's just a movie. But of course great film and theatre (all great art?) does just that. Shutter isn't quite there.