Shutter Island

Posted by admin on Mar 10, 2010 in Arts & Culture | 0 comments

Grade: Grade: B+

Director Martin Scorsese is back with his first effort since 2006’s Academy Award winning The Departed, and he’s brought Leonardo DiCaprio back with him.
DiCaprio plays Teddy Daniels, a U.S. Marshal who, along with his new partner (Mark Ruffalo), are investigating the disappearance of a patient at Shutter Island’s Ashecliff Hospital for the Criminally Insane; as Dr. John Crawley (Ben Kingsley) puts it, “It’s as if she evaporated, straight through the walls.” As Teddy and his partner scour the island for clues, they discover that the hospital staff isn’t as forthcoming as they’d like; everything is not as it seems on Shutter Island.

With Scorsese behind the camera and actors like DiCaprio and Kingsley in front, you know that the film is well-directed and the characters well-acted. The easiest criticism for the film is that it is too predictable; In Scorsese’s defence, however, the twists are well presented and logical. It’s the kind of movie that you want to watch again, just so that you can pick up on all the breadcrumbs that were left along the way. The look and feel of the film are also strong, as it simply exudes atmosphere, which is important for a psychological thriller like this.

Considering the pedigree involved, some may walk away from it feeling let down, but it’s a solid, well-made thriller that is definitely worth seeing.