Movie Review: Shutter Island
By Travis McSweeney, Writer
February 26, 2010
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Featured A&E, Visual Entertainment
Academy Award winner Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have collaborated for the fourth time in their careers to do the adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s thriller, Shutter Island.
The story is set on a mysterious island off the coast of Boston in 1954. Two US Marshalls, Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), are sent to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of a patient, Rachel Solando, from a mental institute for the criminally insane. When they get there, they learn there’s more that’s going on at this mental institute than most people think. While Teddy Daniels is investigating the disappearance, he is plagued by the grief of his dead wife (Michelle Williams) and his experiences during World War II.
For the people who have read the book, this movie has stuck to the original medium as closely as possible. All the major twists and turns that you enjoyed in the book are still there in the movie.
One of the strongest points about this movie is the performances by the actors. DiCaprio is hands down the most impressive with his interpretation of Teddy Daniels. His lead sets the table for the rest of the actors. Michelle Williams also has strong a performance while playing Teddy’s dead wife in flash back scenes. Mark Ruffalo also has a strong performance to round out the three leads. The performances may not be fully appreciated until the end of the film because it is only then that you will realize the layers demanded of each character.
This is a genre that we aren’t use to seeing from Scorsese, but he does it justice. He keeps you on the edge of your seat, never knowing when the next twist or turn is coming. The cinematography is also a definite plus in this film. The overall look of this film is a lot different from most others of this genre.
The only downfall to this film is that it plays out a little slower than expected. I even felt like the book was more fasted-paced. This tactic works well for the climax, though. Scorsese would rather you feel the intensity of the scene than have it explode off the screen.
If you’re the type of movie goer that only enjoys fast paced action thrillers, this movie may not be for you. But if you’re the type of person that enjoys films that examine the depths of a character’s soul, this is what you’re looking for.
This is definitely not Scorsese’s best, but it is definitely a solid movie.
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