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[Danne-Danger]

The Ghost Writer, huh? I can't believe I forgot about that. Will have to check that out immediately!

It's great! Nothing stands up to Machete though.

 

[Mike Works]

Shutter Island is fucking awesome, one of the best movies of the year, and I pity anyone who can't enjoy it because they've become so conditioned to hate Shyamalan's movies that they can't appreciate the whole of a great Scorsese psychological thriller.

I just re-watched it for the first time this weekend, still great.

 

[Tworak]

Shutter Island is indeed awesome. Also, I didn't like Inception.

 

[VALIS]

You can't call Black Swan predictable because it's not trying to fool you. Everyone keeps saying how they guessed what was happening right from the beginning. I didn't know it was supposed to be a secret. We all know what's happening, so let's watch it unfold.

It's a modern take on one of the most famous ballets with a widely-known story...

It's like saying a Hansel & Gretel movie would be predictable: yeah, we all know what happens.

Why do you think The Black Swan was made to surprise you with its ending? It wasn't. It's just an exploration of psychosis, obsession, etc.

I agree with this and don't think "predictability" should be held against Black Swan. I don't know why it should be held against Shutter Island, either. Most people realize at some point, whether it's as early as the conversation on the boat coming over to the island or at one of the many other obvious points in the first hour, that this isn't a standard mystery thriller and things are not exactly what they seem. It's a fantastic movie to re-watch and notice the deliberate tip offs and tells. The "twist" doesn't make the movie, it's a constant progression of trying to determine what is reality through an unreliable 3rd party in Teddy Daniels. It's not infinitely deep like 2001 or Stalker, but I found it pretty damn fun.

 

[RSTEIN]

Shutter Island is fucking awesome, one of the best movies of the year, and I pity anyone who can't enjoy it because they've become so conditioned to hate Shyamalan's movies that they can't appreciate the whole of a great Scorsese psychological thriller.

Well the problem for me is that I knew there was some sort of a twist (thanks to reviews)and that did anchor my whole take on the movie. Plus, the twist became evident quite quickly. Movies don't exist in a vacuum these days with the Internet.

However, even if I didn't know about the twist, or even if there was no twist, it wouldn't change my opinion because the whole movie is just so boring. There's no energy behind the lens (if that makes sense?). To quote Bud Fox from Wall Street, it was like having sex with the Wall Street Journal.

Black Swan is the opposite. It just oozes with energy. It takes your breath away.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

Shutter Island is certainly better than the two movies that you mentioned (though some of the more realistic moments of Black Swan are better than anything in the three films), but all three films are pretty 'eh.' I doubt any of them will be particularly remembered in a few years, especially since the directors of all three films have released much better work in the past, Scorsese especially. I will say that Black Swan has by far the best acting of the three films.

Edit: Black Swan's predictability most definitely acts as a mark against it. Re-telling of Swan Lake or not (don't buy this interpretation, anyway, but that's of no consequence), that does not excuse it from bringing nothing new to the table and falling into every genre cliche.

 

[Foxy Fox 39]

Well the problem for me is that I knew there was some sort of a twist (thanks to reviews)and that did anchor my whole take on the movie. Plus, the twist became evident quite quickly. Movies don't exist in a vacuum these days with the Internet.

However, even if I didn't know about the twist, or even if there was no twist, it wouldn't change my opinion because the whole movie is just so boring. There's no energy behind the lens (if that makes sense?). To quote Bud Fox from Wall Street, it was like having sex with the Wall Street Journal.

Black Swan is the opposite. It just oozes with energy. It takes your breath away.

Thats how I felt about SI. It wasnt a bad movie, its just something I've seen about a billion times that in no way seems to innovate (be it the way in which it's told, characters, visual texture) or at least put a twist (no pun intended) on the same tale.

 

[RSTEIN]

I will say that Black Swan has by far the best acting of the three films.

I think that is perhaps the only thing that can be agreed upon.

 

[Sotha Sil]

Well the problem for me is that I knew there was some sort of a twist (thanks to reviews)and that did anchor my whole take on the movie. Plus, the twist became evident quite quickly. Movies don't exist in a vacuum these days with the Internet.

That's the main issue. I've read the book knowing there was a twist, and was still surprised. The novel made a point of hiding it from the reader; it's one of the best in the genre, and a big part of the reader's enjoyment. Making the twist kind of obvious was an awful mistake.

 

[Foreign Jackass]

Black Swan >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Shutter Island >>>>>> Inception

The Social Network > Black Swan >>> Shutter Island >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Inception

And don't get me on that "It's cool to hate on Inception" thing. It was always smart and in good taste to hate Inception, since it's a shitty, boring movie. The haters (myself included) just got completely drowned in the people repeatedly giving out love to it, saying it was the best movie of all time, 10 posts each a day.

 

[RSTEIN]

And don't get me on that "It's cool to hate on Inception" thing. It was always smart and in good taste to hate Inception, since it's a shitty, boring movie. The haters (myself included) just got completely drowned in the people repeatedly giving out love to it, saying it was the best movie of all time, 10 posts each a day.

I like Inception but it really was like Killzone 2 for a while. Now with time at least Killzone 2can be viewed a bit more objectively. This is starting to happen with Inception.

 

[MrBig]

I always love GAF's Oscar-season revolt against highly rated Summer films. Happens every year around this time, and always produces the lolz.

 

[Grisby]

Yeah, its a shame really. One of my favorite movies that started out the year.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

I really liked Shutter Island. Not as much as Inception, but it was still a good movie.

 

[Snuggles]

Dang, I didn't know that you guys hate Inception now.

I dunno. I thought Shutter Island was visually stunning but I didn't get much out of the plot. I should probably give it another shot sometime soon.

 

[Havok]

I enjoyed Shutter Island, but they telegraphed the twist so blatantly every single step of the way that it lacked any impact for me at the end. I called it after I saw the trailer, and while predictability isn't horrible, it took enough away from the payoff at the end that it soured the experience just a bit.

 

[Vinci]

You can't call Black Swan predictable because it's not trying to fool you. Everyone keeps saying how they guessed what was happening right from the beginning. I didn't know it was supposed to be a secret. We all know what's happening, so let's watch it unfold.

Shutter Island is a mystery, you're trying to figure out what the hell is going on. It's just a bunch of shit that happens for 2 hours and then they suddenly peel back the curtain to explain what you've been seeing, and you're just like... ok.

This is pretty much where I'm coming from. Were people, like, confused about what Black Swan was? I thought the commercials alone gave it away pretty much.

As for Inception: It's fun. Which is really all it had to be.

Though I will agree that Leo was better in Shutter Island.

 

[TheRagnCajun]

I agree, Shutter Island is better than the other two movies mentioned. I think it has just been forgotten.

 

[Mike Works]

Well the problem for me is that I knew there was some sort of a twist (thanks to reviews)and that did anchor my whole take on the movie. Plus, the twist became evident quite quickly. Movies don't exist in a vacuum these days with the Internet.

However, even if I didn't know about the twist, or even if there was no twist, it wouldn't change my opinion because the whole movie is just so boring. There's no energy behind the lens (if that makes sense?). To quote Bud Fox from Wall Street, it was like having sex with the Wall Street Journal.

Black Swan is the opposite. It just oozes with energy. It takes your breath away.

I can't speak of Black Swan, as I haven't seen it yet, but reading your post completely brings me back to feeling pity for people who went in seeing Shutter Island solely anticipating a twist.

The mood in Shutter Island is so fucking enjoyable- from the island's first introduction, to the random patients, to the WW2 flashbacks/dreams... god it's great. I honestly can't fathom someone complaining that there's no "energy" (behind the lens) in the movie. The concentration camp scenes, the dream sequence with his wife, the interactions with the head of the island... it's just not a complain I can comprehend.

And for the record, I thought DiCaprio was much better in Shutter Island than he was in Inception, though that's partially due to him having a better character/material to work with in Shutter Island.

 

[Buckethead]

As much as I hate Inception because it's an overrated piece of hippie garbage, it's by far a better movie than Shutter Island.

Still neither are in the class of Black Swan or more importantly, The Social Network.

 

[Mike Works]

I enjoyed Shutter Island, but they telegraphed the twist so blatantly every single step of the way that it lacked any impact for me at the end. I called it after I saw the trailer, and while predictability isn't horrible, it took enough away from the payoff at the end that it soured the experience just a bit.

You called that

Spoiler

DiCaprio was a patient and Kingsley had set up an elaborate role-playing experiment in an effort to allow him to come to terms with reality

from the trailer?

 

[Blader]

Shutter Island is fucking awesome, one of the best movies of the year, and I pity anyone who can't enjoy it because they've become so conditioned to hate Shyamalan's movies that they can't appreciate the whole of a great Scorsese psychological thriller.

I just re-watched it for the first time this weekend, still great.

Give me a break. I like Shutter Island, but it is no way a great, or even good, psychological thriller. It requires zero thought, spoon feeds everything to the audience in scenes of *pure* exposition (a lot of which isn't even necessary to begin with), and--unlike Black Swan or Inception--offers nothing visually during this exposition. There's nothing psychological about it.

You called that

Spoiler

DiCaprio was a patient and Kingsley had set up an elaborate role-playing experiment in an effort to allow him to come to terms with reality

from the trailer?

The latter is a stretch, but the former? Come on. The trailer makes it pretty clear that

Spoiler

Leo is Patient 67.

 

[Chinner]

I can't speak of Black Swan, as I haven't seen it yet, but reading your post completely brings me back to feeling pity for people who went in seeing Shutter Island solely anticipating a twist.

The mood in Shutter Island is so fucking enjoyable- from the island's first introduction, to the random patients, to the WW2 flashbacks/dreams... god it's great. I honestly can't fathom someone complaining that there's no "energy" (behind the lens) in the movie. The concentration camp scenes, the dream sequence with his wife, the interactions with the head of the island... it's just not a complain I can comprehend.

And for the record, I thought DiCaprio was much better in Shutter Island than he was in Inception, though that's partially due to him having a better character/material to work with in Shutter Island.

really agree with this post. i went into shutter island knowing the twist and it didn't spoil the film for me at all. people went in with the wrong expectations.

 

[Big Baybee]

The wife and I recently watched Shutter Island and we were both amazed at how good it was. Great, actually.

 

[Vieo]

Shutter Island and Black Swan are "Johnny-Come-Lately".

Fight Club did what these two movies attempted to do [

Spoiler

Show a story to the viewer where something mysterious, unexplained, or possibly supernatural is going on, then later attribute it to the revelation of the protagonist's mental illness.

], way better, back in 1999 aannd in a much more entertaining fashion.


Inception is the superior movie based on plot originality alone.

 

[shintoki]

Great film released at the beginning of the year, shunned over for many more recent projects.

The Ghost Writer, huh? I can't believe I forgot about that. Will have to check that out immediately!

Another great movie, forgotten. Plot was pretty obvious, but Polaski shot the hell out of that film.


Also, Nothing like idiotic fanboy babble... but but but it's cool to hate on something now! Christ, what a weak load of shit people feed themselves. There was plenty of criticism for Inception back then. Just because you put your head in the ground isn't going make it go away.

 

[Dilly]

What exactly does everyone find predictable about the movie?

Spoiler

figuring out that he was the patient wasn't that hard to do, but I did not expect the whole movie to be a setup to get him sane again

This movie gets too much hate.

 

[TheRagnCajun]

This thread just maks me happy that I'm not a film snob who can apparently see how every movie plays out based on a trailer/first 5 minutes of the movie. I'm glad I can still be surprised.

 

[Xrenity]

Give me a break. I like Shutter Island, but it is no way a great, or even good, psychological thriller. It requires zero thought, spoon feeds everything to the audience in scenes of *pure* exposition (a lot of which isn't even necessary to begin with), and--unlike Black Swan or Inception--offers nothing visually during this exposition. There's nothing psychological about it.



The latter is a stretch, but the former? Come on. The trailer makes it pretty clear that

Spoiler

Leo is Patient 67.

What I thought was brilliant is that you think you get it pretty quick - Leo

Spoiler

must be 67, he is/is gonna be a patient

- but in the end there's so much more to it.

 

[Blader]

What I thought was brilliant is that you think you get it pretty quick - Leo

Spoiler

must be 67, he is/is gonna be a patient

- but in the end there's so much more to it.

No I agree, I was just responding to his point about

Spoiler

Leo being 67 not being obvious

when it really was.

 

[shuyin_]

Because if your movie is going to end with a predictable twist you need to make the journey to the twist worth watching. Shutter Island failed to do this.

Yeah, because Inception had an unpredictable and original ending amirite? FWIW i like dShutter Island's ending a lot more than Inception's (which was a disappointment).

Edit: that said, Inception is better executed and more fun/thrilling to watch. But when it comes to endings, Shutter Island > Bubonic Plague > World War 2 > Inception

 

[Herpes Reasons]

Inception is the superior movie based on plot originality alone.

inception has so many plot holes that it shouldn't even get the kind of recognition it gets.

 

[Mike Works]

Give me a break. I like Shutter Island, but it is no way a great, or even good, psychological thriller. It requires zero thought, spoon feeds everything to the audience in scenes of *pure* exposition (a lot of which isn't even necessary to begin with), and--unlike Black Swan or Inception--offers nothing visually during this exposition. There's nothing psychological about it.

It may "require zero thought" after the movie, but you're just straight up wrong otherwise. Think back to the dream sequence where Leo talks to his dead wife in his apartment. Or to the one where he dreams of Patient 67 and her dead children. Do those scenes spoon-feed anything to the audience? Would you consider them pure exposition? Would you argue that the image of his wife crumbling to ash in his arms or a small avalanche of corpses frozen within ice aren't visually enticing?

The latter is a stretch, but the former? Come on. The trailer makes it pretty clear that

Spoiler

Leo is Patient 67.

The latter IS the answer. The former could be guessed by fucking anyone just from reading the most basic synopsis of the movie, let alone watching the trailer, let alone watching the movie. People claiming that they "guessed the ending" to this movie are such a joke to me. Shutter Island's "twist" is NOT

Spoiler

simply that Leo is Patient 67

. It's certainly part of it, but to claim that as being the entire twist- and thus that you guessed the twist- is simply wrong.

If someone were to tell you the premise of the movie within a few short sentences, there are realistically only 2 or 3 possible outcomes that the movie could have:

Spoiler

1. There is a Patient 67, they wind up finding her, and all of Leo's paranoia was just that- paranoia.
2. The government/people behind Shutter Island want to stop Leo from investigating into it, so they lure him onto the island and condemn him as a patient.
3. Leo was a patient all along (and...?).

The movie cancels out option #1 early on in the movie

Spoiler

(after Ben Kingsley's character claims they found Patient 67)

. That leaves a 50/50 chance of correctly guessing (at least part of) the twist. I'm sorry, but winning a coin flip does not impress me, especially considering the fact that I have yet to see someone claim that they correctly figured out the

Spoiler

(and...?)

part.

Again, I blame this partially on the Shyamalan mentality and partially on the marketing (though a lot less, because of course you're going to advertise a movie like Shutter Island in that way).

But to say that you went into the movie already knowing the twist, to me, is laughable.

 

[Korey]

inception has so many plot holes that it shouldn't even get the kind of recognition it gets.

Well the main difference between Shutter Island and Inception was that Inception was fun to watch

 

[Herpes Reasons]

Well the main difference between Shutter Island and Inception was that Inception was fun to watch

preferred cup of tea i suppose.
i'd like to argue as well inception had way better marketing.

 

[Borgnine]

Yeah, because Inception had an unpredictable and original ending amirite? FWIW i like dShutter Island's ending a lot more than Inception's (which was a disappointment).

Edit: that said, Inception is better executed and more fun/thrilling to watch. But when it comes to endings, Shutter Island > Bubonic Plague > World War 2 > Inception

I'm not the one bringing Inception in to this discussion. I don't even agree with comparing Black Swan and Shutter Island apples to apples, but that's how the OP wanted to frame it so here we are. The only reason Inception is in this same discussion with Black Swan is because the academy increased the number of best picture nominees to 10.

 

[dimb]

Black Swan follows the ballet motif. Knowing what happens is part of the arc and part of what it aims for. Being aware of the events that would go down does little to change the power of the events because the story is about how it plays out.

Shutter Island is a mystery movie but the mystery is bogged down by stupidity, plot holes, and an obvious outcome. So...yeah. Fuck it.

 

[Neki]

Was Inception really disliked so much on GAF? Then again, the only thread that has any Inception discussion is the OT but that's mostly filled with plot comments and high praise, where do the Inception haters hide for half the year then?

 

[sixteen-bit]

Was Inception really disliked so much on GAF? Then again, the only thread that has any Inception discussion is the OT but that's mostly filled with plot comments and high praise, where do the inception haters hide for half the year then?

I'm inclined to believe many people's opinions on the film changed as time passed

 

[brianjones]

I preferred Inception when it was called The Cell, which I preferred when it was called Dreamscape.

black swan doesnt have any obvious influences?

 

[Blader]

Was Inception really disliked so much on GAF? Then again, the only thread that has any Inception discussion is the OT but that's mostly filled with plot comments and high praise, where do the Inception haters hide for half the year then?

If anything, the backlash indicates that Inception is very well liked by most of GAF. :lol

 

[shuyin_]

Was Inception really disliked so much on GAF? Then again, the only thread that has any Inception discussion is the OT but that's mostly filled with plot comments and high praise, where do the Inception haters hide for half the year then?

I don't think many people hate Inception. Most consider it a good movie; just not the amazing experience it was supposed to be. Coming from the director of Memento and The Prestige, it certainly failed to meet expectations.

 

[Herpes Reasons]

Was Inception really disliked so much on GAF? Then again, the only thread that has any Inception discussion is the OT but that's mostly filled with plot comments and high praise, where do the Inception haters hide for half the year then?

movie of the forever?
inception wont even be best movie of the year.

 

[Dead]

The base plot twist in Shutter is predictable sure, but the film works regardless.

The movie did a great job of constantly subverting my thoughts about the eventual twist, constantly making me root for the scenario to be real as I was so invested in Leo's character. The twist reveal later in the movie was still effective due to that, I had so wanted to convince myself that Leo was sane, and it was heartbreaking to find out he wasn't.

 

[jetjevons]

I greatly enjoyed and found redeeming qualities in all three.

Is that even allowed by GAF?

 

[BlueTsunami]

Definitely think Black Swan > Shutter Island > Inception but this is like an Apples to Orange to Potatoes comparison.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

It was too easy to figure it out. I figured it out 1/4 way in what was happening. It definitely has a better storyline than Inception, but Inception executed a lot better. I haven't watched Black Swan, so I have no idea with that one.

I figured it out from the trailer.

 

[Zeliard]

The people who keep saying they predicted the "twist" didn't predict the actual meaningful twist in the film and really need to stop saying that.

Though, actually, keep saying it. It's an easy way to gauge who didn't comprehend what they just watched.

 

[C4Lukins]

Black Swan> Inception...

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

Why do people keep mentioning the twist as if it's the be all and end all of the film?

It's not the main thing that is so fascinating about it - it's the audience's questioning of whether he was actually a patient of the island, or whether he was still being manipulated by the doctors that keeps the discussion going even after the credits have rolled.

It's like a twist which may not even be a twist at all, but sadly people can't appreciate that.