“You’ll never leave this island.”
Martin Scorsese’s latest movie “Shutter Island” wouldn’t usually be part of Lights, Camera… History! because it is set in 1954. I asked to write/publish this review because it is one of the best movies I have seen so far this year. Maybe I can get some of you to take the time and go watch it in the theaters. For me it is a piece of art.
But first things first, the plot. The movie is based on the psycho-thriller “Shutter Island” by US-author Dennis Lehane.
In 1954 widower U.S. Marshal Edward “Teddy” Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) go to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane, to investigate the disappearance of a patient, multiple murderess Rachel Solando, who has escaped her cell and apparently the desolate barren island, despite having been kept in a locked cell under constant supervision.
Chuck Aule: “All I know is it’s a mental hospital.”
Teddy Daniels : “…for the criminally insane.”
As you can see this story has the makings for a wonderfully intense, horrifying gothic movie. DiCaprio has one of his best performances as do Ben Kingsley (as Chief of Staff) or Michelle Williams as Teddy’s dead wife.
The movie begins with a puking Teddy taking the journey to Shutter Island by boat. I was shocked to so obviously recognize the scene being shot with the help of a greenscreen. I was expecting better. But there you have it. I did get better, just not the way I expected. The feeling of watching an old movi stayed with me. Even the sound effects reminded me of Hitchcock or Edgar Wallace movies.
All of it helps to support the story that may not sound very interesting and probably wouldn’t be except for the surprising twist at the end of the movie. I won’t spoil the movie for you by telling you what makes the story so amazing, so intense. You just have to take my word for it and watch the movie. If you do you’ll have a very troubling but still satisfying time.
George Noyce: “Dont you get it? Youre a rat in a maze.”
“Shutter Island” is not for th soft hearted. It has few grueling scenes but wickedly plays with the minds of its audience. There is always an uneasiness around, always something around the next corner that you feel might jump out at you.
“Shutter Island” is a gothic horror thriller that pulls at your primal fears, uses simplest tools to set an atmosphere and shocks you not with things/people jumping out at you but with the tenseness, strain that comes over you while watching a simple detective story.
The cast is close to perfect. Ben Kingsley proves that you can never guess the side he’s on. He has the role of Dr. John Cawley down pat. He gave me goosebumps. Michelle Williams impersonates this scary manic-depressive wife of Teddy in a way that made me want to run the other way. Fast. Mark Ruffalo is a good, if not perfect supporting actor. He’s not even close to his lead DiCaprio, but that would be hard to do. I’m not a DiCaprio fan but always found him very convincing in his characters (hated Titanic, though).
Teddy Daniels: “We gotta get off this rock, Chuck.”
I can’t wait to read your replies to my review and hope to see you agreeing to my verdict. “Shutter Island” is chilling, deeply disturbing but also a cineastic masterpiece that has to be praised.
Official website: http://www.shutterisland.com/#/home
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1130884/
Images from Allocine.fr
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Did you read the book as well? I’m wondering how closely they stuck to the book. I didn’t really care for it all that much, mostly because I had the ending figured out pretty early on.
However, I thought the previews look sufficiently creepy and intriguing. And I loved the last Scorsese/DiCaprio paring, The Departed. So I think I’m going to check this one out.
Several friends of mine didn’t like the movie at all (same for the book) so I wasn’t very interested in it, despite being a fan o Scorcese. Now, after reading your review, I can barely keep myself from buying a movie ticket and see Shutter Island this same evening. Great review, Anna!
Mollie, I did not read the book. I didn’t even know there was a book until after I read up on the film after I saw it.
I was pretty quick in figuring out the twist as well, but the last scene I didn’t figure out and that’s what makes the whole movie worth your while.
The thing about this movie is that Scorsese is trying to make the movie look and feel like it was made in the 50s. In my opinion it is the main reason why I loved it. I was just so there. Like right there in the scene with Leo.
Even all the artificial things like the blood spatters on Rachel Solando… all makes sense in the end. But while watching the film you kind of feel betrayed because you’d expect better, but yeah… watch it and tell me what you think.
What didn’t your friends like about the film, Alex? Was it maybe just too disturbing?
Oh no, they are all fans of “disturbing” movies (the stranger, the better).;-) The thing is, my friends don’t like DiCaprio (neither do I for that matter) and somehow, they pictured someone else in his role. Also, after so much buzz, they told me they were expecting something really dark and shocking. Since I didn’t see the movie, I cannot tell you more but now I’m curious so I think I’ll see it this weekend and come back and comment.
I’ll probably see it…maybe I’ll wait until it gets to our “cheap theater” though. I have to say though, I’ve loved Dicaprio since Blood Diamond and The Departed.