Back in August of 2009, director Catherine Hardwicke signed on to direct Girl in the Red Riding Hood, a gothic interpretation of the Little Red Riding Hood story. (Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way production company is teaming with Warner Bros. for the film.) Now the Los Angeles Times suggests that Amanda Seyfried (Jennifer’s Body, Dear John) is being courted for the lead role in the film.

They report that writer David Johnson (Orphan) has finished a new draft of the script, and the movie is apparently gaining momentum. We still don’t know a lot about the film’s approach, other than its “gothic” nature and it’s supposedly a werewolf story with a teenage love triangle at the center. The Times goes out of its way to draw comparisons to Twilight (which Hardwicke also directed), but even though I’m certain Warner Bros. is willing to cash in on Twilight-mania, I’m holding out a bit more hope for the quality of this project.

Perhaps my expectations are because of DiCaprio’s involvement, even if he ends up only being involved as a producer. As recently as yesterday in an interview with MTV, he stated what we as movie fans all hope to hear: “It’s all about the material at the end of the day.” It’s clear DiCaprio has high hopes for his content and isn’t interested in cashing in on the latest trend, and Hardwicke has proven herself an interesting director with films like Lords of Dogtown and Thirteen. I think Seyfried has yet to show her real talent as an actress, but perhaps Girl in the Red Riding Hood will be something of a showcase for her. In any case, at least it should be something different.

A final note: Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat provided some interesting Red Riding Hood imagery which shares some potential story elements with Hardwicke’s new project. I won’t spoil Dougherty’s film for you here, but it’ll be interesting to see how those comparisons shake out when all is said and done.

It’s not difficult for the adept moviegoer to predict the direction Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island travels; the fun is in the ride. The Oscar-winning director has crafted a psychologically charged thriller that is as much about recapturing a classical style of filmmaking as it is a showcase for the acting talents of star Leonardo DiCaprio.

The plot is familiar enough: In 1954, a pair of “duly appointed federal marshals” (an irresistibly fun phrase to imitate with a Boston accent) arrive on Shutter Island to visit Ashcliffe, the federal mental hospital for the criminally insane. A woman named Rachel has vanished, and it’s up to Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and his partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) to find her. As a threatening storm places the island on lock down and Dr. Cowley (Sir Ben Kingsley) begins playing mind games with the marshals, Teddy must battle through delusions, drugs, and hysteria to discover the truth behind Rachel’s disappearance and relive his own horrific wartime experiences in the process.

Like I said: if you’ve seen the trailer, you know this movie is going to tackle the tried and true question, “what is real?” Thematically, the film this instantly reminded me of is Total Recall, the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger action flick directed by Paul Verhoeven. Like that film, Shutter Island presents a world in which reality is called into question, and it’s our job as the audience to sift through the details and discover the truth for ourselves. Tonally, the movie reminds me more of an old Vincent Price film; the “trapped on an island” setup and mind games lend well to recapturing the claustrophobia of 1940’s film noir (Key Largo comes to mind). Scorsese’s style also fits this mold well – his use of close ups help to force the viewer in for a closer look (mirroring Teddy’s journey) and he employs quick cuts to keep the audience slightly uneasy and uncertain of anything they are seeing.

The score, an eerie mix of previously recorded songs, was put together by Scorsese’s frequent collaborator Robbie Robertson. Surprisingly, it works extremely well, providing an old school vibe that is overpowering at points. (The introduction to the island in the opening scene is fantastic.) But the uncomfortably loud volume (again, only at certain points) definitely served its purpose, driving the audience into their seats and cringing to escape the pulsating strings and deep orchestral tones. In Shutter Island, the score is used as yet another manipulation, keeping the viewer off balance and intensely aware of every detail.

For the sake of full disclosure, let it be known that I’m a huge fan of Leonardo DiCaprio – so take this next paragraph with a grain of salt. DiCaprio is my favorite actor working today, and his performance here was outstanding. The movie itself has a sort of B-movie vibe to it, not taking itself too seriously and allowing certain aspects (like Ben Kingsley’s performance) to be wonderfully over the top. DiCaprio’s performance, on the other hand, was as straight as an arrow. We needed him to be believable since everything on the island is questionable. He takes us on a personal journey and we can feel every emotion seething through him on the screen. We completely buy into his viewpoint, and Scorsese and Co. knew that the entire film rides on this performance. The actor is fairly selective about his film projects and always strives to push himself into a challenging role, and Teddy Daniels was different enough from other characters he’s played to meet his needs. If this movie was released back in October of 2009 as initially planned, we would most likely be discussing the battle between Jeff Bridges and Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Actor at the upcoming Academy Awards.

The cinematography is striking, avoiding cheap camera tricks in favor of a classical shooting style that retains suspense and simultaneously borders on beautiful. The disorienting aura surrounding Teddy’s flashbacks and slowly infiltrating his existence is translated skillfully through the camera, allowing us the luxury of an enjoyable ride even if we know (or at least suspect) where the path will end.

The script, written by Laeta Kalogridis and based on Dennis Lehane’s novel, is complex and layered, giving Teddy a solid arc and providing a captivating commentary about living with guilt. Teddy’s flashback sequences, both of his days as a soldier at the liberation of Dachau and memories of his deceased wife, are well placed throughout the movie’s run time. Small-but-solid parts for Jackie Earle Haley and Max von Sydow also add to the creepy and moody atmosphere.

Overall, Shutter Island is my favorite movie of the year so far. It’s tight, suspenseful, well-acted, well-directed, and well-shot. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. Even if you think you’ve figured out the “twist” from the trailers, it’s still a joy to watch Scorsese give us a film that so wholly embraces its film noir roots and, as an added bonus, features DiCaprio’s most complex role in years. Until next time…

DreamWorks has lauched a pretty cool campiagn on Twitter, where fans have a chance to ask both director Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio questions about Shutter Island. In the film Leonardo DiCaprio plays one of two U.S marshals who are investigating the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane on an island in Massachusetts. Trouble arises when they are deceived by the hospital’s chief administrator. Then there is a hurricane which traps them on the island and then to top if off the inmates start rioting.

If you are interested in asking a question use the hashtags #AskLeo and #AskScorsese. For example, you could ask them both why they work with each other so much, and whether they are trying to beat Johnny Depp and Tim Burton in the collaboration department.

Their questions and answers will be weeked on Friday.

Below is a montage of Shutter Island that was shown at the Golden Globes after Scorsese won the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

Shutter Island will be on February 19th.

Last week we got a new trailer for Christopher Nolan’s Inception, however it was in French so the majority of people couldn’t understand what was being said. Add the fact that we know next to nothing about the film, we ended up watching a trailer for a movie we know nothing about in a language we couldn’t understand.

Luckily for us Warner Bros. has released the trailer in English, yet despite the addition of the English language we are still none the wiser on what the movie involves, apart from bending skyscrapers and trains running wild down busy streets. It does look amazing though.

Inception stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy and Michael Caine, and will be released next July.

Just over a week ago we learned that a new trailer for Inception would be appearing in front of Avatar, and now MakingOf have debuted a French trailer for Christopher Nolan’s ‘wtf’ movie. While the English version has yet to be released, it’ll probably be similar to this one which features buildings being rolled up and a train thundering down a busy street.

Inception stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy and Michael Caine, and will be released next July.

A reader from /Film informed them that a new viral campaign has begun for Christopher Nolan’s Inception. Apparently if you visit Inceptionmovie.com and complete a mini-game involving a maze you are reward with a poster, which can be seen below. It reminds me of the Joker poster from The Dark Knight.

Yesterday we heard that we can expect a new trailer in front of Sherlock Holmes on December 25th, it all also appear online around that time.

Inception stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy and Michael Caine.

Shutter Island would have been released yesterday if Paramount didn’t push it back till next February, however in honour of the former release date they have provided the internet with a new trailer.

In the film Leonardo DiCaprio plays one of two U.S marshals who are investigating the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane on an island in Massachusetts. Trouble arises when they are deceived by the hospital’s chief administrator. Then there is a hurricane which traps them on the island and then to top if off the inmates start rioting. You know there won’t be much smiling from Leo in this film!

Shutter Island is Leonardo DiCaprio’s fourth outing with director Martin Scorsese after Gangs of New York, The Aviator and The Departed, so we know this is going to be better than anything else released next February.

The teaser trailer for Christopher Nolan’s Inception is now online. It doesn’t reveal much although we do see people fighting on the walls and ceilings of a hallway, and the music also sounds like something we’d hear from The Dark Knight. I’ll guess Hans Zimmer is behind it. Watch the teaser below!

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy and Michael Caine.

NolanFans.com found the above picture of Leonardo DiCaprio, Christopher Nolan and Ken Watanabe in a Japanese publication.

The photo containing the Inception director, and two of its stars, was taken on June 15th in Tokyo, Japan (one of the reported filming locations of Inception). According to reports, filming is already underway in that country, which is only one of six reported countries the film is scheduled to shoot in.

As well as Japan Inception will apparently film in Los Angeles, London, Paris, Morocco, Tangiers and Canada so it’s safe to assume the film will be a global affair. A few reports have said that the budget for Inception is around $200 million, which is hard to believe, but we know so little about the film that it could very well cost $200 million. It has been described as “a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind” and as as well as Leo and Watanabe the cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy.

According to The Hollywood Reporter Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard and Cillian Murphy are in talks to join Leonardo DiCaprio in Christopher Nolan’s Inception. All three are great actors and would be great additions to Nolan’s sci-fi flick. Ellen Page, as we know, is a rising talent following Hard Candy and Juno, Cotillard won Best Actress award at last years Oscar’s and Cillian Murphy is a good friend of Nolan’s, having been in both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

“Inception” is described as a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within “the architecture of the mind.” In keeping with most things associated with Nolan’s project, the secrecy extends to the character descriptions.

James Franco was in talks to join the project but had to bow out due to a scheduling conflict with Universal’s comedy “Your Highness.” Nolan and the studio are aiming for a summer shoot ahead of a 2010 release