Rambaran’s Log

If I have to sum up Shutter Island in one word, it would be: CEREBRAL.   Shutter Island will keep you guessing throughout its entire 2 hr. 15 min. runtime, which serves its purpose as a throwback to the ‘whodunnit’ mysteries of the 60s.   Master filmmaker Martin Scorsese does an excellent job adapting the narrative of Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel for the big screen.    However, the film is no masterpiece in comparison to Scorsese’s earlier work (i.e. The Departed, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas).

The film takes viewers back to 1954, where U.S. Marshall, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio), is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a patient from Boston’s Shutter Island Hospital Prison, a place reserved for the clinically insane.   Once Daniels lands on Shutter Island, he is immersed in a world which is well beyond his control.   The facility is run by Dr. Cawley (brilliantly played by Ben Kingsley) who is not very helpful to Daniels’ investigation.   As Daniels uncovers more secrets about Shutter Island, we learn more about Daniels and his inner demons.

Shutter Island is not a horror film.  Although the trailers make you believe it’s a ‘boo!, gotacha’ type of flick.   The movie delivers an intertwined web of psychological thriller fiction which will keep audiences focused on the tidbits Daniels picks up through his investigation as his tries to solve the case.   The performances from the support cast are exemplary, as for the technical credits (film school material).   However, Shutter Island tries a bit too hard to be ‘The Shining’ when its not.   Does that mean it’s a bad film?  No, its not a bad movie, but its not that great either.   I do have some bias, as there are scenes of dead children in the movie which are difficult to watch.   I didn’t see the need for Scorsese to revisit this sequence in full detail, which turned me off from the film as a whole.   Don’t worry, its not graphic in any way, its just a difficult scene to watch as a father.

All in all, is Shutter Island worth the price of admission?  I would say if you like Leo and Scorsese, then you’ll enjoy the art of filmmaking.  If you looking for some popcorn entertainment for the evening, wait for this to come out for a rental and watch something better on the big screen.