Directed by Martin Scorsese
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, and Ben Kingsley
Running time: 138 minutes
Warning, there may be some spoilers... but I tried not to give anything crucial away
After finally seeing Shutter Island on Tuesday, I must say that I'm quite shocked to see it have only a 67% rating on rottentomatoes.com. Since it's only February and the movie was supposed to be released last year, I have to say that it would've easily made it to my top ten movies of 2009. This is a beautifully made, meticulously crafted, and superbly acted film. The great ensemble cast includes great performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Max Von Sydow and Jackie Earle Haley. Haley, the former child actor, has formed quite a career since his highly memorably performance in "Little Children" and his brief on-screen time in Shutter Island leaves quite a lasting impression.
Yes, there are some twists and turns in this movie. The ultimate twist at the end has turned some people off to the whole product, but I really think it enhances the film for me. Sure, it would've been satisfying to see Leo's character, Teddy, solve the case and leave the island peacefully. But that wouldn't fit right with the context of the movie. From the beginning, we are clued in on the fact that something is not quite right with Teddy. His motion sickness, his hallucinations, his flashbacks--- all are clues to the fact that this is a man that is deeply haunted by his past. Of course the hallucinations and flashbacks only started occurring shortly after he was given those pills, the cigarettes, or anything else the people from Shutter Island gave him.
Teddy is there to investigate the disappearance of a woman who was sent to Shutter Island after she drowned all three of her children. As soon as the investigation begins, it is clear that there is something iffy and unsettling about this whole investigation. But is that why he's really there? Is that really what he was brought there to investigate the island? Is he really there to investigate anything? All of these questions can be asked fairly early on in the movie.
So, I'm sorry to say this to all you naysayers out there but Shutter Island is legitimate from start to finish. All the clues and pieces are there, they are given to you as soon as the movie opens. Scrosese does a great job of successfully selling how cruel, creepy, and mysterious the place is. Doing this allows for some things in the beginning of the movie to not make sense. But really, I feel like I've gone through every scene over and over in my head... and if something in the beginning "doesn't make sense," I think you can attribute that to the fact that there are a lot of things about the island that doesn't make sense or add up. I think that's what makes the ending work for me. I still feel like the ending still leaves things ambiguous enough for two versions of the story to work--- once you see the film, you'll understand what I mean by that.
Overall, Scorsese has developed a reputation for himself that making a film like this---that's simply meant to entertain and thrill---may underwhelm some people. This isn't necessarily a film for a "Scorsese fan," it's moreso for someone who is a fan of movies. I mean, really a fan. Someone who is very in tune with all the references and influences that this movie derives from. This is a great example of a movie successfully using its references... it makes it an even more fun movie to watch for a self-described cinephile such as myself. You can see bits and pieces of The Shining and Vertigo, to name a few, when you watch this movie. It may not be Scorsese's best work because, well, nobody can top his best work. But, I have a feeling that this will wind up becoming one of my favorite films of the year. A movie that I will want to watch over and over, hopefully discovering new things about the movie that I hadn't previously picked up on. Is this Scorsese just screwing around in a different genre? Well, if it is, then wow... I'd like to see what he does when he's actually "trying."
8.5/10
