Shutter Island

Monday night Grace and Debbie and I went to see Shutter Island. We were all looking forward to this. The downside is that with Jen in New York and Gen at school - we were Gen/Jen-less.

I remember reading the book in 2003 and being very moved by it. I am, of course, a Lehane fan. How could I not? We are both of Boston. His book "Mystic River" affected me greatly. I've never read a book that reached inside and touched me the way that book did. Lehane gets it and more importantly, is able to convey it when it comes to the uniquely tribal experience of being from Charlestown, Dorchester and Southie. We are more the same than we are different. The movie didn't do it justice, but was good nonetheless. Conversely, "Gone Baby, Gone" was a good book, but a great movie.

I liked this movie for several reasons. First, as I said I loved the book. I read it on the same vacation that I also read Stephen King's "Bag of Bones", coincidentally a book about a man dealing with the loss of his wife. Everything about that vacation is a fabulous memory. Sitting at the rooftop pool, drinking Coke from glass bottles, reading....waiting for Tommy to return from work.....everything was perfect for those ten days.

I also appreciated that they didn't give a every character a Boston accent - just the ones that could pull it off.

Movies that are supposed to be set here....should be filmed here.

Next, Scorcese said he filmed this as an homage to Hitchcock....and I am a huge Hitchcock fan. As a cinephile, I appreciated certain screen shots and the haunting score. This piece really brings home the Hitch feel.

Two thumbs up!