Released February 2010
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams
Roger – 3.5/5 stars
Shutter Island isn’t your average slasher flick, and in the world of “thrillers,” most movies these days seem to be less about the thrills and more about the gore. Shutter Island has its bloody moments, but they are nothing compared to the disturbing psychological guessing game that makes up most of the movie.
Circa 1940’s, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) is visiting a psychiatric institution for the criminally insane with his partner Chuck (Ruffalo). They are looking into the mysterious disappearance of one of the patients, and of course, are caught up in the unnatural, for lack of a better word, “craziness” of the place.
This movie keeps you guessing, and there are some very tense moments where I was pretty much watching through my fingers. The story is intricate and well done – it is based on the book by Denis Lehane, who also wrote “Mystic River.”
Scorsese does a terrific job, as do the actors, at creating the strange and terrible world of the Island. The atmosphere is so thick it’s practically a character in the movie. It’s just a tad too slick and showy, though; I would have liked a bit more grit on some occasions…but I suppose, due to the nature of the story, the more smoke and mirrors the better.
Michelle Williams seemed a little out of her element, and during a key scene near the end…well I’ll just say her “crazy” acting is quite clichéd. Leonardo DiCaprio is rock solid good, as per usual, and Mark Ruffalo (whom I’ve always liked as an actor) fits in quite nicely with his elevated movie surroundings. Ben Kingsley, is of course, genius.
The film is well done, but the subject matter is very heavy. Shutter Island is compelling, but it is also nightmarishly intense, and it’s something I won’t have to see again very soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment