Photo courtesy Summit Entertainment

Writer/producer/director Roman Polanski releases his latest film after a five-year hiatus with his political thriller, The Ghost Writer.

Although Polanski has avoided the United States for the past 33 years (he was accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 1977), there is no denying he is a talented filmmaker; the Academy Award-winning director is known for his legendary films such as The Pianist (2002), Chinatown (1974) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968).

In The Ghost Writer, actor Ewan McGregor plays the title role of the Ghost, a ghost writer working on the memoir of ex-British Prime Minister, Adam Lang. While writing the memoir, the Ghost begins to dig deeper into Lang’s past and becomes entangled in a web of deceit and lies and the only way out is to discover the truth… or so he thinks.

McGregor has starred in over 39 films, including Trainspotting (1996), Moulin Rouge! (2001), Big Fish (2003) and The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009) and has a few projects already lined up for the future.

Recently, McGregor sat down with the Daily Titan to discuss the film, working with legendary filmmaker Roman Polanski and creating his phantom character, the Ghost.

Daily Titan: In Moulin Rouge! you play a “penniless poet.” in The Men Who Stare at Goats you play a journalist and in this film you play a ghost writer. Is there something that attracts you to roles where your character is a writer?

Ewan McGregor: I think the thing is that writers like to write about their writing. They really… like the world to know that it’s a really difficult and exciting profession, don’t you all? So do you all enjoy writing about yourselves and all? It is true; I’ve played a few journalists and writers.

DT: What was it like to work with Polanski?

EM: He’s an iconic man and a legendary director, so for an actor it’s quite nerve-wracking and exciting to meet him. He’s kind of two different men, I think. When you’re off set, he’s making you coffee and making sure everyone’s alright and then when you start working on the text or actually on the set, he becomes quite, um, direct. He’s very direct. His direction is not guarded or sugar-coated in any way; he’s really quit brusque almost with his direction, but the direction is always very interesting.

DT: How does Polanski’s directing style differ from other directors you’ve worked with, such as Tim Burton, George Lucas and Baz Luhrmann?

EM: I went through a process with him… we’re quite sensitive, actors, I think, and when we try something out, if it’s not considered to be good or right… Polanski wouldn’t worry about telling you that it was wrong, he didn’t do it to hurt your feelings, but I have to say, I realized very quickly that he was like that with everybody… I realized that it was not a personal thing, it’s just absolutely about his manner of how he directs.

DT: How did you create your character? Did you read the book The Ghost by Robert Harris or just the screenplay written by Harris and Polanski?

EM: I read the script first. There’s not a great deal of information about (the character) in the script or in the book. I think that’s purposely done on the part of Harris and then on the part of Harris and Polanski when they wrote the script. He’s called the Ghost and there’s kind of a ghostly quality to him; he’s in amongst all these people, but we don’t know very much about him. I didn’t feel like I needed much more than what was on the page and the script because they wrote him really clearly, I felt.

DT: What was it like working with actor Pierce Brosnan?

EM: Pierce is an actor I’ve always watched. There are a handful of actors you wonder if one day you will work with them and Pierce was always one of those. I’ve always enjoyed watching him. When Pierce arrived, we were… up near Poland and we had really bad weather problems in that we had really good weather and we needed really bad weather. So… because we had bad weather we had to shoot the scene in the private jet, which is really a big-long scene, it was a seven-page scene and Roman phoned up Pierce and said, ‘We’re thinking of maybe starting with that (scene) and is that okay?’ And Pierce said, ‘Yes, of course, that’s fine,’ and suddenly you find yourself in that little jet set, that’s quite fun to say, ‘jet set’ (smiles, laughs), and (Pierce) was on the jet set and having to wade through seven pages of dialogue with me and be directed by Polanski for the first time.

DT: You’ve sung in some of your films such as A Life Less Ordinary (1997), Down With Love (2003) and Moulin Rouge!(2001). Do you have any plans to do any musicals anytime soon?

EM: Oh maybe, I don’t know, I haven’t been offered one in a little while, but you never know.

A young couple, Lucia Ramirez (America Ferrera, Ugly Betty) and Marcus Boyd (Lance Gross, TV’s House of Payne), become engaged and travel home to tell their families the good news; however, Lucia’s father didn’t even know she was dating anyone and Marcus’s father is a divorcee who cautions his son against taking the plunge. To further complicate the situation, the couple must also tell the family that the wedding must happen within three weeks because they are traveling together to Laos, so Marcus can practice medicine.

Despite the A-list talent and comedians on hand for this film, including comedian Carlos Mencia, Anjelah Johnson and Academy-Award winning actor Forest Whitaker, the film lacks in laughs. There are funny moments, including Charlie Murphy singing a rendition of Babyface’s “Soon as I Get Home.”

A lack of comedy creates a more dramatic or serious tone, which doesn’t feel right for the storyline. The movie ends up being in a state of purgatory between comedy and drama and yet doesn’t have the right balance of both to make it work. The best way to describe the in-between-drama-and-comedy tone of this movie is to think of any Ben Stiller movie and his quirky awkwardness, but take away the quirky awkwardness; it just doesn’t feel right for the plot.

Our Family Wedding needed to either up the ante on the comedy, or ramp up the drama, but it seems this film just couldn’t make up its mind, which makes the movie seem aimless and indecisive.

The year is 2029 and people no longer have to wait on a transplant list to obtain organs because science has created artificial organs. A company called The Union sells the organs, the way that Starbucks sells you a cup of coffee.

However, if you can’t pay for the coffee, baristas don’t come after you in the middle of the night and reclaim it. If payments are four months late, The Union sends repo men to collect the organs, by any bloody means possible.

After a repo-gone-wrong, Remy (Jude Law, Sherlock Holmes), ends up with an artificial heart and no longer has the ‘heart’ to slice people open. Remy’s best friend Jake (Forrest Whitaker, Our Family Wedding) thinks he’s just in a slump and will get back on his feet in no time, but that’s not the case, and Remy falls behind on his payments.

The film is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride and even has some humorous moments. It is also graphic and has plenty of blood and gore to boot, so if you have a queasy stomach, I would advise skipping this film (perhaps see The Bounty Hunter instead).

The movie is pure entertainment and should be viewed as such, because in some parts of the movie the situations seem a bit unrealistic. In one scene, Remy takes on about 10 corporate types in suits armed with knives, using a saw, knives and a hay hook. Unrealistic, yes. But fun and entertaining as hell.

It’s full of emotion, depth and every character has their own story to tell.

Set in 2001, Tyler Hawkins (Robert Pattinson) is an introverted young man who has a strained relationship with his father Charles (Pierce Brosnan). Charles is detached from his family and cares more about his career than his relationship with his son and daughter. We first see this when Tyler tells his father, “You have a daughter who thinks you genuinely don’t care about her” and he responds with, “She knows I’ll take care of her. That’s all there is.”

Ally Craig (Emilie de Ravin) is Tyler’s love interest and the daughter of Police Sgt. Neil Craig (Chris Cooper). The film begins with a flashback from 1991 where we see an 11-year-old Ally witness the murder of her mother. Because of this, Neil becomes extremely protective of her.

Tyler and Neil have their first encounter when he gets arrested after getting into a fight while trying to protect a stranger. Tyler’s roommate comes up with a plan to get even with Neil by having Tyler date Ally with the intention of him dumping her. What follows is an intense, drama-filled ride.

Throughout the film you are pulled into each characters story and go on an emotional journey with them as it unfolds. You are able to sympathize with each character and feel the range of the emotions they experience, be it is anger, pain, happiness or rejection. The ending is unexpected and leaves a lasting impression.

Pattinson delivers a great performance and shows that he’s capable of playing a complex character. He is able to showcase the range of his acting abilities, which is something that is not seen in his previous films, the Twilight saga. While the film can be predictable at times and slow paced in the beginning, it’s worth seeing.

Before watching the movie, I was pretty excited to see Kristen Stewart, who plays Martine, an insecure teenager, once again steal the silver screen, but as the movie progressed I became uninterested and was waiting for it to end. The acting was great, however, the plot didn’t take any drastic twists or turns.

The movie opens with the main characters, William Hurt, Eddie Redmayne and Stewart meeting in a local diner. When their plans don’t go as expected, they make an impromto decision to roadtrip to New Orleans. The film did not give much background on the characters and left the audience guessing until the end, when more of the characters’ background was revealed.

An interesting part of The Yellow Handkerchief were the flashbacks between the characters played by Stewart and Redmayne. Hurt’s character was portrayed as a free spirit who was easy to talk to but seemed disturbed at every sight that he saw when he was in the car such as a yellow flower or the ocean.

The beginning and middle part of The Yellow Handkerchief is slow but gives the viewers a taste of what each character is about and why they came together. Based on a short story by Pete Hamill, The Yellow Handkerchief received its world premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

This film is obviously a love story that has a happy reuniting of Bret and his wife May. However, I would not recommend this film as a first choice to a younger couple on a first date. If you are a more mature couple and enjoy a slow beginning of a film with a happily ever-after ending, this is your choice. This movie will definitely keep you guessing.

Daily Titan: Do you think that the film has a potential to be a classic of our generation?

Jay Baruchel: Wow, oh my gosh. Well that’s like, if it isn’t we’ll eat these words. I think that it can hit a nerve. I’ll just be psyched if kids dig it at all. But I definitely think that there’s potential, that it’s the kind of movie that people will tell their friends that they should maybe watch it. You know? And I think that it’ll be a DVD thing that kind of gets passed around a lot. Maybe a cult classic.

DT: Director Jean Field Smith has directed sketch comedy and this is his first big feature film. So how did Smith bring that kind of experience  to directing this particular movie?

JB: Well, he was also a sketch performer himself in his own right. He is just kind of wired comedicly. He kind of always knew what was funny and I think he had pretty good instinct.

Nate Torrence: I think that he did a great job as far as just not only letting us play but just being able to control the tone of it all. I think he did an amazing job for a first timer. I was never worried, really. He’s a funny guy.

DT: I was wondering what personal touches you added to your characters to make them relateable?

NT: I think that all of us really tried as hard as we can, not just with characters but with the whole movie. Our director wanted to make this not caricatures, but reality … I think a great sense of what we were trying to do is even with our lunch scene. We all got to choose what we thought our character would eat. That was one of the funniest things. TJ, if you look on his plate he had a plate of pizza and chicken McNuggets and then I have everything Zip-Locked.

JB: I was the smart one, I chose not to eat, because I know how gross it is to eat on camera … I think you got to make them sympathetic and accessible. I guess it’s a question of inserting yourself a bit more into it at certain points.

DT: Jay, this is your first leading role, with the exception of Undeclared. What was it like taking over that leading role?

JB: I have to say that I was kind of groomed for it, in that fortunately the whole time that I’ve had a career in the States doing supporting stuff, I’ve been making some pretty cool independent movies back home in Canada and I’ve been the lead in most of those. That coupled with Undeclared and plus when I started when I was 12, I was the lead in two different TV shows. So if nothing else, I knew what it was to … carry a movie on my shoulders. I guess it’s all about longevity.

DT: Was there a lot of improving while you guys were filming and did any of it make it to the final cut of the film?

NT: Yeah, that’s what was cool. We got to play around and there are definitely a bunch of jokes where you just make up as many funny things as you can. There’s also a couple of scenes where they flat out just weren’t in the script and they made it in the movie somehow.

JB: You put the four of us in a room together and no matter what it’s gonna be an improv festival.

Ewan McGregor (The Men Who Stare at Goats, Moulin Rouge) plays ‘The Ghost,’ a ghost writer hired by former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan, Mamma Mia!) to help him finish his memoirs. The Ghost doesn’t quite know what he gets himself into when he finds out his predecessor ended up dead, and the Prime Minister is accused of illegally seizing suspected terrorists in Pakistan and handing them over for torture by the CIA. After doing some research of his own, The Ghost comes to find that not everything is as it seems, putting his life in danger. The clock is ticking and only The Ghost can find the truth, but can he do it before he ends up like his predecessor?

This film is not simple and mindless – it is a tangled web of politics, lies and intrigue. The film keeps the audience on their toes and requires their full attention to completely understand the plot, otherwise the ending becomes anti-climatic and leaves audience members scratching their heads wondering what the hell just happened.

The film has one talented cast, including McGregor, Brosnan, Kim Cattral (Sex and the City: The Movie), Tom Wilkinson (Duplicity) and Olivia Williams (An Education). The cast are the heart and driving force behind the film, so even if you leave the theater thoroughly confused by the plot, at least the acting was superb.

Despite the controversy of Polanski’s personal life, he proves that his films are still a tour de force and The Ghost Writer is no exception.

The Cove is an inspiring documentary that unfurls like a thriller. Equipped with camouflage clothing, hidden cameras and deep sea divers, the crew is determined to slip past aggressive guards to capture images of the rampant dolphin slaughters, all while being chased by what might be Japanese cops, or the mafia.

Because dolphins are not protected by the ban on commercial whaling, the annual killing of the 23,000 animals is perfectly legal, however scenes in the movie show the brutal, stomach-churning massacre in the secluded lagoon – scenes that the locals are completely unaware of. Other secrets are exposed, revealing the disreputable business that supports the city’s economy and the possible “buying” of votes in the International Whaling Commission.

The exceptionally well-put-together documentary, which debuted in July 2009, earned an Oscar at the 2010 Academy Awards.

During the film, we see Psihoyos recruit his dream team in order to capture the powerful images they need in hopes to shut the operation down. With state-of-the-art equipment hidden in trees and rocks surrounding the kill zone, they capture sights and sounds of the cruelty that rouse you to shred your SeaWorld pass.

The movie features heroes of the movement, including two Japanese councilmen who were responsible for prohibiting the mercury-infected dolphin meat from the school lunch system.

Richard O’Barry, who captured and trained the five dolphins used for the family-favorite Flipper, feels responsible for the billion dollar swim-with-dolphins and show-whale industries. The fatigue is ever noticeable, showing the exhaustion of the 35 years attempting to undo what he created.

Along with the Oceanic Preservation Society, Psihoyos, O’Barry and the crew embark on this mission to expose the sinful procedures in the hidden lagoon and why it matters to everyone else in the world.

In typical Burton fashion, this isn’t simply a remake of the Walt Disney 1951 classic; it has been revamped to illustrate Alice’s return to “Underland,” (as the denizens call their fantastical home) after 13 years.

Now a young woman, Alice (Mia Wasikowska, Amelia) returns to the world of wonderland, convinced that she is stuck in a dream. Alice’s friends and citizens of Wonderland, White Rabbit (voiced by Michael Sheen, New Moon), twins Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Matt Lucas) and Dormouse (voiced by Barbara Windsor) must convince Alice that she isn’t dreaming and that she is the “champion;” the chosen one to defeat the Red Queen’s (Helena Bonham-Carter) fearsome creature, the Jabberwocky.

The film is visually stunning. Burton brings the world of Underland, a place of imagination, vibrancy and charm, to life, especially in dazzling 3-D.

The cast of live actors, Wasikowska, Bonham-Carter, Anne Hathaway, Johnny Depp and Crispin Glover are a titanic force in this film, acting within an imaginary world, talking to imaginary creatures and interacting convincingly with things that aren’t really there.

In a distinct departure from the Disney classic, every time Alice shrank or grew, her clothing didn’t shrink or grow with her. This served as a distraction in anticipating her next costume and critiquing the outfit as if it were a dress at the Oscars.

There’s no reason not to like this film: the plot is exciting, the film is visually beautiful and there couldn’t be a better cast. Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland is a rabbit hole worth falling into.

Courtesy of Disney

In 1940, animation legend Walt Disney presented a melding of art, sound and magic in the form of Fantasia. Nearly 70 years later, the enchanting novelty lives on through Fantasia 2000, a reconstruction of the original film, including new sequences as well as restored classics.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Fantasia phenomenon, it’s an epic collaboration of orchestra and artwork by various artists, presented sans-dialogue, organized into several song/illustration sequences. The goal of the production remains, as it has always been, to present “an abstract film with a non-linear story,” according to animation producer Don Hahn. Hahn was part of the panel of producers, directors and animators speaking at a screening of the film honoring its tenth anniversary at Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre Feb. 17.

Listening to the panel discuss the challenges of restoring a classic while living up to its well-established name, it was immediately clear that there is an unimaginable amount of effort that goes into the recreation of a high-caliber film such as Fantasia. Production of the film was nine years in the making. The opening sequence alone averaged eight to ten hours of production per frame. If you ask me, that’s a whole lot of dancing animals.

So why bother? Aside from the fact that it was Walt Disney’s original intention to release a new version every year, producer Donald Ernst elaborated, “We just felt we could make a bigger impact with more new films, more new areas, and more new music.” Of course, with new ideas come new obstacles. For a sequence of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” Ernst wanted to base the animation off of Albert “Al” Hirschfeld’s jazz-clad artwork. When he received less-than-enthusiastic feedback from the artist, Ernst had to wine, dine, and practically beg Hirschfeld into finally granting permission.

Fantasia 2000 breathes a feeling of life and evolution into each new piece. In Disney’s first attempt at CG, the “Pines of Rome” sequence (by Italian composer Ottorino Respighi) shows off an innovative technological leap in the form of flying whales (who would’ve guessed that flying whales would take us into the future?)

Another sequence entitled “The Carnival of the Animals, Finale,” based on French composer Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns’ work, features a hysterical group of flamingos that stumble upon a yo-yo. The real hysteria lies in its amazing display of fully handmade watercolor paintings for every single frame in the sequence.

Probably the most inspiring work of the entire film is the final sequence based off of Russian composer Igor Stravinsky’s “Firebird Suite.” Illustrated by French artists (and twin brothers) Paul and Gaetan Brizzi, the sequence presents a symbolic narrative of life, death, and nature’s restoration after a devastating trauma. Sadly, the demise of the earth seems almost more relevant today than it was ten years ago when the sequence was made. While intending to send a message about the importance of harmony between man and nature, the Brizzi brothers had to make sure it was visually appealing enough to catch the eyes of the audience.

According to Paul, the biggest challenge was “to make sure the image and music would marry perfectly.” And marry it did. Ten years later, the sequence is still more breathtaking than most animated pieces. When asked if he would change anything about his “Firebird” if given the opportunity to modernize it today, the answer was a strong “No.” Paul explained, “with the CG animation everything seems to blend … everybody seems to forget that there is a soul … (it) tends to put everything in the same box.”

In celebration of the ten-year anniversary of Fantasia 2000, the restoration will be available on Blu-ray in May of this year.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

A roomful of about 30 journalists eagerly await the arrival of Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese, three-time Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio and Oscar-winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley, for the Shutter Island press junket held at the Le Parker Meridien hotel in New York City.

DiCaprio is the first to arrive. His dirty-blonde hair is slicked back, and he is dressed semi-formally in black slacks, black dress shoes and a powder blue sweater that makes his eyes seem a brilliant shade of blue. Scorsese enters the room next, muttering “press conference, press conference,” seeming somewhat overwhelmed and slightly uncomfortable in a room full of people. He wears a black suit with a matching tie, and black rimmed glasses. His hair may be gray, but his signature bushy eyebrows remain as black as the rest of his ensemble. Sir Kingsley arrives last, donning a maroon shirt and a black suit jacket.

As the three settle into chairs at the head of the room, Scorsese mumbles “Press conference, wow,” and heaves a bit of a sigh. The journalists respond with laughter, and with that, the press conference with Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio and Sir Ben Kingsley begins.

Daily Titan: Mr. Scorsese, Mr. DiCaprio, what were your individual processes for making this film?

Martin Scorsese: That’s like asking, ‘how did you make the entire movie?’ In my mind, I still haven’t quite finished it. Basically, it was reading (Laeta) Kalogridis’s script based on (Dennis) Lehane’s novel and from the reaction that I had from reading that script as to the world that I imagined, as I was reading it and how it really turned out to be was revealed to me many different realities without giving away too much.

Leonardo DiCaprio: I was very intrigued by the screenplay and how it was very much a throwback to great detective genres of the past, like Vertigo or Laura, which Martin screened for us. At first glance, (Shutter Island) was very much a thriller genre piece with twists and turns that worked on lots of different layers, but like (Martin) was just saying, there was this discovery for us while making the movie and this process, once we started to unravel who this man was, and his past and what he had been through and the nature of what was going on on Shutter Island. It took us to, I think, places that there is no way we could have foreseen. I mean, it got darker and darker and more emotionally intense than we ever expected. That was the real surprise for, I think, both of us making this movie. At first glance, you read something on a page and it can seem one way and you can have your decisions before you wind up on set about what a scene is supposed to mean, but until you’re there doing it there’s no real way to understand it.

DT: Mr. Scorsese, was there a certain way you wanted the film to look when you began filming and did that change once you finished filming and then edited the film?

MS: I think what happens in the story and the nature of the situation; the doctor, the doctor and his hospital, the patients, the island, the storm, the two detectives, an escaped patient, automatically brings to mind certain genres in my mind, certain images that go back several hundred years. The issue was ultimately to have them work for our story and our character and at the same time refer to other material, other types of films or genres, in the past. In other words, the more you see, especially being young, the more you see the past, the more you can draw upon that and the more you can make the present and the future. It’s how you process the past, our own plans in the picture there are references to certain imagery, certain pictures and certain novels. Ultimately, the use of widescreen too, 2:3:5 aspect ratio; if the characters are in a labyrinth or a trap, I fill the frame with that, those elements of a trap. Interestingly, in this picture, the elements of the trap are internal. So all this draws a lot on a very long memory of films I’ve seen, books that I’ve read and music that I’ve listened to over the years.

DT: Mr. DiCaprio, this was a great performance. This character was the most difficult one you’ve ever had to play. How did you prepare for the role?

LD: The clarity, and thank you if you thought it was a good performance (laughs). The clarity comes from research and specificity as far as creating a portrayal of somebody that is obviously, you know, it’s very difficult for me to publicize this film because the sure nature of what goes on in the movie, it’s very difficult to, I’ll say it in reference to shooting in a mental ward on an island, obviously mental illness was thematic in this movie. We were surrounded by it every day. We were surrounded by the dilapidated walls of an old mental institution. We actually had somebody who was there guiding us on the history of mental illness, the past ways of treating it, the different forms of treatment. So, in doing that, there was a tremendous amount of research done on the entrapments of mental illness, and the suffering that people had to go through. So it lead me to watch a lot of different documentaries; a lot of research on mental illness. There were a few weeks there that were, I would have to say, the most hard core filming experiences I’ve ever had. It was pretty intense and I don’t say that very often because it always seems superficial when you’re talking about it, in reference to movie-making because it is an art form, but it really went to places in unearthing who this man was, that I didn’t think it would get to.

DT: Sir Kingsley, what was it like working with Mr. Scorsese?

Sir Ben Kingsley: I think it’s life and art. When you have a great working environment provided by Marty, one of the blessings of working under his love and guidance is that, whatever you offer the camera, he will see every single scrap that you offer. He doesn’t miss anything – the slightest movement of your eyebrow, an elbow, an inflection of a certain word, everything is noticed, everything is gathered and a great deal of what you’re striving to do, will be in the picture, if not, indeed, all of it. Because that environment is so trusting, nothing needs to be demonstrated, and it therefore forces accuracy. You don’t sentimentalize your performance, you don’t embellish your performance. The environment forces you to be utterly dependent between ‘action’ and ‘cut’ because the environment is perfect on your fellow actor. So as an acting exercise, it is absolutely thrilling that the focus we had to bring to each other echoed in life, echoed in art and when you get that parallel, it’s really thrilling. It’s full of surprises, but it all has a logic.

Set in 1954, the film follows two U.S. Marshals, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo, Where the Wild Things Are) on the remote Shutter Island. The island is host to Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane – home to people so dangerous that other mental institutes cannot handle them. The marshals are sent to investigate the disappearance of a patient who has escaped her locked cell by seemingly “evaporating” through the walls. The marshals are assisted by Dr. Cawley (Sir Ben Kingsley, Fifty Dead Men Walking), who seems to be hiding something about the hospital. Daniels is utterly determined to find out what the doctor is hiding and discover the truth at any cost, even his own sanity.

The film itself is stunning; the cinematography is simply beautiful. Scorsese employs several different camera angles and editing techniques to make the film vibrant and astounding to look at. He also employs flashback and montage, which keeps the audience on their toes, trying to figure out what’s real and what’s not.

DiCaprio, in his fourth film with Scorsese, is impeccable as the marshal with a disturbed past. He has flashbacks from his time as a soldier in World War II and flashbacks about the death of his wife (a striking Michelle Williams), which severely affect him as he tries to solve the case. This was a very dark, different and difficult character for DiCaprio and he nailed it with precision. Ruffalo perfectly balances out DiCaprio’s perturbed character with a level-headed and down-to-earth type of character who affectionately calls Daniels “boss.”

Shutter Island is a must-see for its smart plot, powerful acting and visual beauty. This picture allows Scorsese to add the title “modern master of suspense” to his repertoire and he lets audiences and critics know that he can direct and master any genre he tackles.

Shutter Island is in theaters Feb. 19.

The Wolfman has an R rating for a reason. Because the wolfman’s animalistic desires drive him to go on a murderous rampage, heads and limbs fly and organs and intestines splatter on the ground, as townsfolk scream for their lives and children become targets by standing in the wolfman’s way or running straight into the woods. Kids, they never learn.

The majority of scenes start with dimly lit close-ups of characters, wondering whom or what lurks in their path. This eventually leads to loud and sudden in-your-face moments. Expected, but you’ll still jump off your seat from time to time. Luckily, these scenes will keep the audience from falling asleep during the depressing and drawn-out moments.

Even though Benicio Del Toro looks the part as the flawed character suffering with internal angst due to a traumatic childhood experience, he falls flat as a believable or likable anti-hero. Granted, he did the best he could when it came to the bland dialogue. It would have been more believable if he had burst into a maniacal hysteria, rather than having slow tremors and seizures while moaning.

Emily Blunt, beautifully dramatic – but not over the top – plays Gwen Conliffe, a character who, for once, does not play a brainless damsel in distress. She turns out to be a strong-willed heroine. A savior even. Hooray for women.

Anthony Hopkins doesn’t have to put much effort into the role of Sir John Talbot, since he is innately and distinctively creepy. The way he speaks, moves and grins, it is expected that he pulls off a great performance.

The Wolfman is a remake of the 1941 classic horror film that involves a bloody action fest with simplistic story sequences and dialogue. Word to the wise: Prepare to be startled during quiet moments and manage to giggle during some dramatic scenes.

Returning to FOX is everybody’s favorite agent, Jack Bauer, in 24 on Mondays at 9 p.m. Feb. 2 marked the long-awaited return and the final season of Lost on ABC. Chuck also returns to NBC with the titular character’s newly-acquired kung-fu skills.

Cal State Fullerton radio-TV-film professor Shelley Jenkins says the success of 24 and Chuck has to do with the desire to watch good guys beat bad guys at their own game.

“It’s cathartic to watch shows that build suspense and lead us to believe that the bad guys are going to win again, only to see them get justice in the end,” said Jenkins.

The number one most watched show in America, American Idol, also returns to FOX on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. This is your last chance to watch Simon Cowell crush the dreams of hopeful contestants, as this marks his last season on the show.

Premiering on the CW on Mondays at 9 p.m. is Life Unexpected, which has been called a cross between Juno and The Gilmore Girls. Life Unexpected is a family drama about a girl named Lux, played by Britt Robertson, who is on a search to find her birth parents.

In a press release issued by the CW, Life Unexpected delivered the largest audience of its time slot in over a year with 2.74 million viewers tuning in.

New to ABC is The Deep End, which has been called Grey’s Anatomy in a law office. This show revolves around five young, ambitious attorneys and the pressures of being a first-year attorney at a top Los Angeles law firm.

New to FOX on Sundays at 8 p.m. is Human Target, which is based on the DC Comics graphic novel. Human Target is an action drama centered on Christopher Chance, a private contractor/security guard who is hired to protect the lives of his clients.

Human Target garnered 9.60 million viewers, landing the number six spot, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Also premiering on FOX this Thursday is Past Life, a drama that that investigates the world of the unexplained through the eyes of a doctor and a former homicide detective who work together to solve decades-old mysteries.

Based on Ron Howard’s film with the same name, Parenthood, which was supposed to be on NBC’s fall lineup, premieres Tuesday, March 2 at 10 p.m. Parenthood deals with a colorful and imperfect family and marks the return of Gilmore Girls star Lauren Graham.

For fans of the movie 300, Spartacus: Blood and Sand airs on Starz Fridays at 10 p.m. Filled with CGI, Spartacus has something for everyone – action-packed battles full of blood, severed limbs for the men and toned and tanned bodies a la Gerard Butler for the ladies.

If reality shows are more your thing, Undercover Boss premiered Sunday on CBS after the Super Bowl. Undercover Boss follows different corporate executives as they go undercover to see how their companies really work.

For fans of American Idol, third season winner Fantasia Barrino stars in her own reality show, Fantasia For Real, Mondays at 10 p.m. on VH1. The show will document Fantasia’s comeback in her life and her career.

Another reality show coming to the CW in March is Fly Girls. The show follows the lives of five jet-setting flight attendants on Virgin America living in a Los Angeles “crash pad” while pursuing parties, love and adventures.

Whether you crave action, drama, suspense or laughing at contestants giving it their all on American Idol, spring’s TV lineup has something for everyone.

After two weeks of blissful swooning, John returns overseas while Savannah returns to school. Their love inspires a flurry letters between the separated sweethearts. However, like most dramas, nothing goes quite as planned. Increased deployments and the events of 9/11 prompt a hard decision for John: return home to the love of his life like he promised, or extend his contract with the army and fight for his country.

Their separation triggers fateful consequences. Sparks didn’t name the novel Dear John on a whim.

Much like the common ‘Dear John’ break-up letter, the couple in the movie suffers hardships, both personally and within their relationship. Ladies, bring tissues.

Despite the tumultuous bumps and breakups which resemble those in The Notebook, Tatum and Seyfried share moving and heartfelt scenes, leaving you rooting for a happily ever after. Suprisingly, it doesn’t end in precisely the way you might think. The movie allows the audience to imagine their own perfect ending.

For those who read the novel, the movie deviates little from the original plot. Like most say, the book is always better than the movie. A bit of advice for the ladies — save your boyfriend/brother/male friends the pain of sitting through this movie and leave it for sappy, hopeless romantics. It’s a perfect girl’s-night-out movie, complete with a passionate love story and the dashing Tatum, who wears a bare chest or tight shirt throughout its entirety.