Posts Tagged ‘Leonardo DiCaprio’

Short Take: Truthful or not, it's an interesting and compelling portraiture

Director: Clint Eastwood

Screenwriter: Dustin Lance Black

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Judi Dench, Josh Lucas

Length: 2h 17m

Synopsis: In 1919, as an eager young twenty-something looking to make an impression on the world, John Edgar Hoover tried ardently to devise and synergize crime-fighting tactics so as to better repress the presence of radicals in the United States via his newly appointed position as the head of the yet to be federalized Bureau of Investigation. A stickler for professionalism, Hoover built the Bureau into an entity to be reckoned with by criminals of all sorts, which even included politicians. But along the way Hoover faced struggles with his superiors, the public, and a personal life that could be described as emotionally acidic. His driving force was his dedication to his work, which through all of its practicable advancements actually did as much harm as good. His reputation became controversial and his love life suffered, but the Bureau always remained his top priority. Though never one to suffer a fool, we find that some of Hoover’s flaws and decisions made him every bit the fool himself, in more ways than one. Eventually leaving behind a reputation that continues to be judged in the court of public opinion, J. Edgar contributes to the discussion by providing a portrayal of the infamous dignitary that contests a number of well-established perceptions.

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If you haven’t already, read Part 1 here to see our interpretation of the film’s ending.

Part 2 – Taking a Leap of Faith

Being able to visit dreams is no doubt a concept that is difficult to grasp, especially once you try to consider all of the philosophical possibilities attached to such an idea. That this concept forces us to adapt the foundations of our methods of critical thinking, and indeed logic itself, because we are no longer dealing with the “real” but unbridled cognitive enterprise, we must resort to a manner of thinking that requires pure conjectural reasoning and rationality. By this I am suggesting that it would behoove our intentions to successfully explore this movie by thinking more abstractly about it (theoretically, conceptually, etc.), in addition to relying on concrete cues provided by the film’s text* (details observable in some form or fashion that lead to confirmed or implied conclusions). By doing this it may be possible to discover the film’s main goal and purpose. Read the rest of this entry »

With over a week now passed since the opening of Chris Nolan’s Inception, which is perhaps the most cerebral mainstream movie released so far this year, we thought it would be rewarding to analyze it a little further. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a neuroscientist who visits other people’s dreams (along with his own) and has a complex relationship with his late wife through these dreams, the film’s story is rife with philosophical quandaries and interpretive possibilities. Below, we try to take a look at some of both. To further appreciate any film you must look more intently at it and focus on the finer details, because sometimes these details can change how you view the bigger picture. Not that we would be so presumptuous to say that we are about to unveil some monumental factor that will knock your socks off, but taking the following analysis with a grain of salt might cause you to reconsider what you think you already know about this mind-blowing film.

Caution: It is highly recommended that you see Inception before reading any further Read the rest of this entry »

Short Take: An absolutely mind-blowing experience - One of the most creative films in years

Director: Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Memento, The Prestige)

Screenwriter: Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Memento, The Prestige)

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio (Shutter Island), Ken Watanabe (Letters from Iwo Jima), Marion Cotillard (Nine), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer), Ellen Page (Whip It), Cillian Murphy (Sunshine), Tom Berenger (Sinners and Saints), Tom Hardy (RocknRolla), Michael Caine (Harry Brown), Dileep Rao (Drag Me to Hell)

Length: 2h 28m

Synopsis: Neuroscientists Cobb (DiCaprio) and Arthur (Gordon-Levitt) have a unique job, which is to enter the dreams of others and navigate them in order to find out important information – mainly secrets (this is called Extraction). The invention that they use to perform such a task allows for several people to share another person’s dream, which they can more or less construct to their liking. While working within dreams may sound (pardon me) like a dream, the procedure can in fact be very dangerous. Many things can go wrong that can leave the individuals inside a dream with severe psychological problems, not the least of which is the inability to ever be sure if you’re dreaming or not. Cobb and Arthur’s newest assignment asks them to not just steal information from someone’s brain, but plant an idea in it as well (this is called Inception). The mission demands that they recruit a team and delve deeper into someone’s mind than they’ve ever gone before, and the deeper they go the less chance they have of ever waking back up. Read the rest of this entry »

Short Take: Intelligent and gripping

Director: Martin Scorsese (The Departed)

Screenwriter: Laeta Kalogridis (Alexander), Dennis Lehane (novel)

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road), Mark Ruffalo (Zodiac), Ben Kingsley (The Wackness), Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain), Max von Sydow (Minority Report)

Length: 2h 18m

Synopsis: It’s 1954. U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) is assigned to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a patient at Shutter Island, which is a mental hospital for the criminally insane. Paired with a new partner named Chuck (Ruffalo), the two are convinced that those at the asylum are not telling them everything they need to know. A conspiracy seems like the most logical explanation for what has occurred, but why such a conspiracy would exist baffles them. The answers they find turn out to be the kind that they’d rather not know. Read the rest of this entry »