Shutter Island (Review)

Going back a couple of weeks now, but I feel I need to address this film. “Shutter Island” is the latest film from Martin Scorsese, whose résumé includes the following:

Mean Streets
Taxi Driver
Raging Bull
The Last Temptation of Christ
Cape Fear
Goodfellas
Casino
The Aviator
Gangs of New York
The Departed

Not bad, eh? So, logically the expectations were high going in to this film, which is based on a Dennis Lehane novel which I truly enjoyed. Many critics have claimed this material to be “below” Martin Scorsese. I disagree. The man’s been doing this forever; he can do whatever he wants. I would never question a choice he makes. If he wanted to do a Twilight movie I’d just have to suck it up and have faith in the man.

Let me take you back to 1980. A psychological horror film is released that is met by mixed critical reception, but later becomes regarded as one of the best of the genre. That film was “The Shining”. It appears we have a similar situation here with “Shutter Island”. It is met with confusion at first, but I think it will live forever. Here is a film which has such an incredible atmosphere of foreboding that it is at times overwhelming. Within the first five minutes of this film we are greeted by loud, frightening music as they drive down a road. A ROAD. There is no reason to be afraid of anything at this point in the narrative, but Scorsese wastes no time. At one point in the film a bunch of rats show up for no reason, bringing back fond memories of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”. It just goes to show you anything can be made creepy by ominous music and magical rodents.

I propose you try this. Begin a random conversation with a friend, and then start playing a video of mice on a loop, and sing along to this music: (click here)

Creepiness achieved.

That is perhaps my lone complaint of the film. That and the absolute devotion to the Massachusetts accents. If it isn’t Matt Damon spewing profanities at firemen, I’m not interested. (see: The Departed).

The plot of “Shutter Island” revolves around MAH-SHALL Teddy Daniels and his PAHT-NAH Chuck Aule as they are called to Ashecliffe Mental Hospital on… you guessed it, Shutter Island. A patient by the name of Rachel Solando is missing, and it is their job to find her. It becomes clear that there is something else going on here… and it’s up to the Teddy to find out what is real and what is not.

Much has been made of the SHOCKING TWIST ENDING in this film. Don’t worry, it earns every moment of it. There is a flashback towards the end that some will find hard to stomach. It isn’t gory, but, boy is it upsetting. The violence itself is RELATIVELY tame for a Scorsese film here. Don’t worry, no elevator shafts involved.

DiCaprio is truly great, and moving the film from Oscar season to February hurt him more than anyone else. This movie wasn’t going to win Best Picture, (Sorry, Marty, you got your cookie) but Leo really lost an opportunity here for Oscar gold. Or did he? The studio did something sneaky here and released it AROUND when “Silence of the Lambs” was released in 1991. That did well come Oscar time, as I recall. Also, Mark Ruffalo is terrific here. He is one of the best actors out there and he needs some leading roles. His work here along with his role as Dave Toschi in “Zodiac” are two of my favorite supporting performances of late.

This is not even close to Scorsese’s best work, but his spare parts are better than most others’ best work. He could tape himself singing show tunes and I’d watch that over anything Michael Bay threw up. Don’t be fooled, this is a terrific movie that you have not heard the last of.

Rating: (out of 4)

Oh, and click here for another Leonardo DiCaprio performance which was overlooked at Oscar time!