Good job with tough material

Rating: 6/10 (28 February 2010)

This was a tough film to watch and, I'm guessing, an even tougher film to make.
First I think it's important to point out that the the director really had a lot of obstacles to overcome. Mainly a story that all at once combines the mellow-dramatic want to shoot myself depressing back story elements of say a Crime and Punishment, while trying to maintain the terror of The Shining. In many ways the story was in fact so similar to The Shining, that I thought it was a bit of a rip-off. But then to torrents of back-story roll in upon us. All of which has to be wrapped in a bow by the end of the film and it made this quite frankly, a little tedious.
The story, in case you've been living under a rock south of the equator since last November, is about the investigation by a Federal Marshall (played with his normal over the top aplomb by Leonardo DiCaprio) of an escaped patient at a hospital for the criminally insane on an Alcatraz like island. Mark Ruffalo plays DiCaprio's partner well. Performances by Ben Kingsley, and Max VonSydow as the doctors on the island are good, but wish they spent a little more time with VonSydow, and a little less time forcing Kingsley to tie the story together like a one man Greek Chorus. Michelle Williams makes what I think is the only real stand out performance as the female lead.
The island itself was darkly beautiful. The sets were true to period and dark and scary also. Not surprisingly the film was shot beautifully with a great variety of camera angles and lighting that set just the right mood.
It just seemed like this film tries too hard. There is only so much you can do with an adaptation. So I guess amongst the big budget adaptations this one falls squarely in the middle between Bonfire of the Vanities and LA Confidential. Not terrible or terrific, but a good investment of ten dollars and two hours on a rainy Saturday afternoon.