Shutter Island (2010)

Title: Shutter Island

Rating: 15

Released: 2010

Director: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams

Our Verdict: **** 3.5 stars

In a line: A psychological thriller which leaves you thinking "what the hell just happened?!"

Background: 'Shutter Island' is the 21st feature film to be directed by Martin Scorsese. Scorsese has given us some of the greatest films of the last few decades, including: 'Taxi Driver' (1976), 'Raging Bull' (1980), 'Goodfellas' (1990) and 'The Departed' (2006). The latter was the third collaberation between Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio; with 'Shutter Island' being their 4th joint outing.

The film is based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane; though it is sometimes published under the name 'Prisoner 67'. Principle photography for the film began back in March 2008, and ended on July 2 2008, costing $80million. The film was originally due to be released in October 2009, but had its release date pushed back to February 2010 due to the economic downturn. The film was a box office hit, and gave both Scorsese and DiCaprio their best box office opening yet.

Interestingly, there was no original soundtrack created for the film. Scorsese worked with Robbie Robertson to collect previously used material to form the score for 'Shutter Island', so if the music seems familiar to you; you know why.

Synopsis: The basis of the plot is that US Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is sent to Shutter Island, home to the Ashecliff hospital for the criminally insane, to investigate the strange disappearance of a female patient. Daniels and his partner, Chuck Aule, are drawn into the strangely secretive life on the island, which head psychiatrist Dr. John Cawley (Ben Kingsley) says is a "moral fusion between law, order and clinical care." Teddy is plagued by flashbacks of his dead wife and children, and also his time as a soldier liberating Dachau Concentration Camp at the end of WWII. He also begins to suffer from crippling migraines as he searches for the missing patient. When she is found, many unanswered questions become apparent. Teddy slowly begins to unravel and questions his own sanity as he realises that there may be no escape from the island; where everything is not what it seems.

Review: As I walked out of the cinema after seeing this film, I listened to what the people around me were saying. Some direct quotes are: "Well, that was weird." "I totally didn't get that." "Damn, confusing." "Didn't understand any of it." and "Weird, wasn't it?!" It also seemed that nobody could get their head around the ending. In my opinion, the ending left several unanswered questions. Not wanting to give too much away, I'll not dwell on it, but I will say that if you see this film; you need to pay attention.

As you sit down to watch this film you need to bear two things in mind; 1) that you're going to be sat down for 138 minutes and 2) you need to really watch the film, and remember that nothing is as it seems and the lines of reality and fantasy are blurred throughout. Those would be my essential survival tips for this film.

It is a long film. It feels long. But an awful lot happens in the film. The action is pretty much constant. The storyline is complex and needs 2 hours+ to explain itself. If it was squeezed into, say an hour and a half, you would literally leave with your head spinning.

It's quite a roller-coaster of a narrative. From tense to funny. From scary to intensely personal. We grow to like Teddy, and want to see him triumph over the 'evil' doctors, discover the secrets behind the island and eventually escape. Scorsese builds the characters beautifully; not just Teddy but the staff members at the hospital, and even Teddy's dead wife who is shown only in flashback sequences.

One of my favourite scenes had to be Teddy's exploration of the incredibly sinister Ward C (reserved for the very worse patients). As Teddy strikes matches to light his way through the darkness; the tension reaches boiling point. It was really quite marvellous to watch.

I'd say that for the whole film. It's a really enjoyable film. The emotion, the tension and the intrigue make it very watchable. The storyline has enough to maintain your interest and the ending (which I felt was predictable but clearly confused my fellow cinema-goers) was really brilliant.

The acting was top-notch. Scorsese has chosen his cast very well. Scenes were set up beautifully and the cinematography was very impressive.

I'd really recommend this film. If you can survive the 138 minutes, you'll most likely enjoy it. The narrative is really very engaging. My only criticism was that DiCaprio was, at times, a little flat and mono-dimensional. A couple of times I felt like he needed a rocket up his backside to show any real emotion. This changed towards the end, when Teddy became desperate to flee the island. Then again, I won't hide that I'm generally not a fan of DiCaprio. I can think of several actors who would have played the part better. But Scorsese is clearly very happy with the actor he is now referring to as his 'muse'.

Overall, I'd really suggest seeing this film. It's an entertaining psychological thriller, with plenty of action and a great twist that most people just didn't see coming.