Writer Dennis Lehane should be satisfied about the movie adaptations of his novels. After Clint Eastwood's acclaimed
Mystic River and the underrated
Gone Baby Gone, now Martin Scorsese took it upon himself to bring the "odd and alluring"
Shutter Island to the screen, and it too was a commercial and critical hit.
Reviewer Martin Liebman opens his
critique by admitting that
Shutter Island "plays out as a mystery without much suspense, but never mind that. This is an exceptional piece of filmmaking that negates the predictability with superb craftsmanship; exceptionally-designed sets, chilling locales, gorgeous period costumes, wonderful acting, and engaging direction." The Blu-ray release by Paramount "displays the film's dark noir-style imagery to near perfection," whereas the soundtrack is "nothing less than a superb environmental recreation that captures almost every sonic nuance with incredible precision." On the other hand, special features fall "well short of the more substantial supplemental collection the film deserves." However, the Blu-ray gets a strong recommendation on both the strength of the film and its presentation.
The other major new theatrical release of the week,
From Paris with Love, is not nearly as memorable. Reviewer Dustin Somner admits that it's "certainly not highbrow entertainment for the intellectually focused", but it has a "clearly defined" audience – and it deserves a viewing, especially considering that it stars John Travolta "in one of his wildest performances since
Battlefield Earth".
The catalog front is led by the revered vaudevillian golf comedy
Caddyshack. Reviewer Jeffrey Kauffman ask himself if, after 30, years,
Caddyshack still delivers the comedic goods. And the answer is largely yes, "perhaps surprisingly so." The audio and video, while a "nice step up from the DVD," are nowhere near reference quality, but the reviewer predicts that most fans of the film "probably won't care all that much."
Another remarkable title can be found on the special-interest shelf:
Animation Express is a compilation of 39 "wildly imaginative" animated short films sponsored by the Film Board of Canada. Reviewer Casey Broadwater sums it up by saying: "If you love original, heartfelt work by independent artists and filmmakers,
Animation Express is a steal with nearly four hours of entertaining, imaginative content."
And from the live music department, now for something completely different: a comic oratorio. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Monty Python, Eric Idle and John Du Prez created
Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy), inspired in
Monty Python's Life of Brian. Reviewer Martin Liebman concludes that
Not the Messiah is a "wonderfully-realized companion piece" to the classic 1979 comedy. Ridiculous, yes; but also done well and "with an abundance of wit, professionalism and showmanship."