SHUTTER ISLAND

+ + + ½ (Psychological drama with a twist)

Martin Scorsese has taken the popular novel, set in 1954, and turned it into a bone-chilling psychological drama that most psychologists would probably scoff at. Regardless, Shutter Island makes for an exciting, creepy tale with a number of twists, red herrings and flashbacks that all come together in the end. Things are not always as they seem, and you may catch on to what is going on halfway through the over two-hour movie, but you won't be bored.

Leonardo DeCaprio plays Teddy Daniels, a U.S. Marshall who travels to a remote mental hospital for the criminally insane on Shutter Island, off the Boston coast, to investigate the disappearance of a female patient. On the ferry ride over, he meets his new partner, Chuck (Mark Ruffalo). They meet the very creepy, arrogant psychiatrist (Ben Kingsley) who appears to throw him off the track at every turn. Interviewing the staff and patients (they are not prisoners, they are patients, they are repeatedly told) only confuses them more. The investigation leads to a number of bizarre incidents, as a huge storm prevents the marshalls from leaving the island and knocks out the phones and electricity.

Daniels has a number of disturbing flashbacks and nightmares that cloud his thinking and the investigation. What is real and what is in his mind or caused by drugs administered by the doctor for his migraines?

The story gets weirder and weirder. The missing patient suddenly reappears. Daniels investigates the mysterious activity at a remote lighthouse. He visits the out-of-bounds Building C... until what is really happening is slowly revealed.

This is one of those movies where we don't want to say too much and spoil the surprises for you. You'll have clues and you may see what is coming, but you will still be treated to a full and shocking disclosure at the end.

We liked the movie, even though we had to stretch our imaginations a bit and accept some incredible premises.

The head doctor, played by Max von Sydow, will give you goose bumps, as will many of the patients. There is always that feeling of impending doom, sometimes hindered by too-loud background music. There are also some very disturbing images of murdered children and Nazi war camps. If this bothers you, you may wish to avoid the movie.

Rated a very big R, with profanity, violence and those disturbing images.

COP OUT

+ + (Cop Out of This Crummy Comedy)

Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan star as cop buddies in a stupid story with unlikable characters that will quickly get on your nerves.

Willis plays Jimmy, a serious-minded cop who needs $50,000 to pay for his daughter's wedding. He decides to sell his valuable baseball card to raise the money.

Morgan is his partner, Paul, who is obsessed with his wife's possible infidelity.

The weak story centers around a Mexican drug gang and a thief (Seann William Scott) who has stolen the card.

Both Scott and Morgan engage in monotonous, irritating chatter, often involving bodily functions, which is just plain offensive.

The cops have been suspended for messing up the investigation, but you know that they are going to go out on their own and end up heroes.

Lots of chases, gunfire and obscenities, all leading to a dumb ending and a waste of Willis' talents.

Rated R, with violence, bathroom humor and profanity.