Coming from Scorsese, respectable but not spectacular

Rating: Null/10 (11 March 2010)

Fully recognizing that to some it is sacrilege to express any emotion less than total awe and elation to Martin Scorsese's pictures, I must express not so much disappointment as the lack of any particularly strong feelings after watching "Shutter Island". It's a solid piece of work and an entertaining movie but that's about all, coming from Scorsese.
While there are red herrings in abundance, a seasoned moviegoer should not find it difficult to recognize this movie to be what it is – a psychological thriller. The setting is a familiar one: the protagonists are trapped in a mini universe closed off to the outside world, and things start to happen. The classic case is Agatha Christie's "And then there were none" (a title evolving from a couple of politically unwise ones that were abandoned), the tale of ten "guests" invited to spend a night on an isolated island. While the venue can be anything that fits the bill (e.g. the space ship in "Alien"), it is here also an island, the titular establishment that houses a hospital for the criminally insane. There is also the almost mandatory motif of a location signifying final horror (such as Mount Doom in Mordor), actually two successive ones here: first "Ward 3" and then the ominous lighthouse.
Federal agent Teddy (Leonardo DiCaorio) together with a new assistant Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) has the mission of investigating the mysterious escape of an inmate, a woman that has been put there for killing her own children. It goes without saying that there are more that meets the eyes. For a start, Teddy has his own haunted memories of a wife who died in a fire started by an insane criminal who is now purportedly on the loose. There are various other plot lines and the fun for the audience is of course in trying to pick out the true scent from the red herrings. The final revelation is neither brilliant nor dumb, but just serviceable. There are of course some who insist that there in one more layer of truth beneath. There will always be – after all, one is entitled to believe that one gets extra value for the money paid.
This movie provides a good platform for displaying some excellent acting, although not quite Oscar level (but who knows?) It's good to see DiCaprio maturing to a point where you almost forget completely the pretty boy image with which he was once associated. Ruffalo has proved to be solidly reliable in just about any role he takes. Ben Kingsley and Max von Sydow dominate the scenes, whenever they appear, with the enigmatic and intimidating the roles of authority they portray. The three women Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer and Patricia Clarkson, all first-rate actors, demonstrate why they are with the three characters they play, imaginary or real, each with its own brand of neuroticism.