My Movie Review: Shutter Island

My Movie Review: Shutter Island

4/5

Opening Statement: Teddy Daniels is a Marshall who is sent with his partner to an institution on an island to investigate the disappearance of a patient. Once he gets to the island he starts experience bizarre hallucinations, and they get worse as he gets closer and closer to discovering a dark conspiracy.

What's Good: This film truly works in the psychological mystery field, more so than the thriller/ horror aspect. Scorsese's use of sound and the imagery in the hallucinations is extraordinarily artistic and creates an atmosphere of suspense that most thrillers aren't at all capable of, reflecting a Hitchcock-esque feeling at times. The adaption of the novel works very well transitioning to the big screen. Shutter Island impacts your mind, and really attaches you to the main character in which it is based around. DiCaprio delivers an expectedly grand performance, I would say oscar-worthy if it was award season, and all around the ensemble works very well together. Even after the plot twist filled finale you still question the outcome. Also would like to point out a fantastic use of movie score.

What's Bad: Ok, a couple of criticisms, when I said it works in the psychological mystery field, that is how and where it works, and it works damn well. The fact is it was trying to pull the thriller/ horror aspect over the eyes of the beautiful mystery. Scorsese keeps it in good perspective, but he every now and then succumbs to the cliche with the occasional made-you-jump sequences. It may have been a struggle to juggle the multi-genre film, and if anyone can pull it off it is Scorsese, but it did come out with a couple of dents, which you can buff out with an anti-critical mind.

Consensus: Cinematically beautiful, well-written, acted, and scored. At times Scorsese's Shutter Island has trouble keeping itself in perspective, but the surprises and beauty of the film overshadow its flaws. See it.