Surreal and shocking

Rating: Null/10 (21 March 2011)

When I rented the DVD of this movie, I only really knew two things about it: it had an outstanding director in Martin Scorsese and an exceptional lead actor in Leonard DiCaprio. That was enough for me. I suppose I thought that it was some kind of detective tale, so I was surprised and shaken to find that this is a much darker and more surreal story than I had imagined.
Set on an American prison island in 1954 and based (apparently faithfully) on a novel by Dennis Lehane, we find federal marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and his new colleague (Mark Ruffalo) investigating the mysterious disappearance of a prisoner from the institution led by a seemingly benevolent doctor (Ben Kinglsley) - but little is what it seems in a contrived but clever narrative that never releases its icy grip.
If you've seen the 1919 German silent film "The Cabinet Of Dr Caligari", you might have some idea of what to expect. But, since you haven't, you won't - and that's how it should be.