An A+ Psychological Thriller

Rating: 9/10 (20 February 2010)

Shutter Island is definitely a movie worth seeing. The cinematography is great, the acting is authentic, the setting is intriguing, and the story is captivating. There are just enough scary moments, disturbing scenes and plot twists to keep your attention the entire time. The ending, however, is disappointing because we've seen it before.
The movie is set in the 1950s and takes place at Ashecliffe, an institution for the criminally insane. Ashecliffe of course sits on the remote Shutter Island. The movie never lets the audience forget when and where we are. We see chilling shots of the cliff's edge, crashing icy-cold waves and the big old buildings that make up Ashecliffe. (The beautiful old brick buildings are perfect for the institution, especially the old military fort that makes up ward C, the most dangerous ward.) Everything from the dialog to the wardrobes are perfectly dated. They really nail the era, down to the filter-less cigarettes, the antique record players, the female orderlies' starched white dress uniforms and hats, the cars and much much more. All of these things keep us planted on the island and aware of the time.
Along with an incredibly sound setting there is also an incredibly strong cinematic style that perfectly conveys the mood of mystery and psychosis throughout the movie. For example, the opening scene shows Teddy (Leo) and Chuck (Mario) on a small ferry headed to Shutter Island. The background is filled with a dark sky covered in looming storm clouds. The background almost looks too contrived and would be off-putting if it wasn't so visually attractive and somehow appropriate for the scene. The ferry ride is the perfect opening scene because the background is so surreal not to mention the obvious implication that things are going to get intense from the brewing storm. This sets the stage for all of the bizarre and dreamlike things to come where reality changes and our protagonist gains momentum, like a building storm, to uncover the truth behind Ashecliffe. Another great scene that subtly portrays the mood of psychosis is the cave scene where Teddy meets Dr. Rachel. There are parts in this scene where we see Rachel through the flames of a fire that's burning in the cave. I believe that the fire represents a veil through which the audience is to see and interpret this character. As the story unfolds we learn that what Dr. Rachel says is a lie, if the encounter ever really happens at all (I'm still kind of unsure but I think it's imagined). The blur of the flames that we see Rachel through shows us the blurred reality of the scene. It's very subtle, and as you see the film for the first time you never question if the encounter is really happening or if what Dr. Rachel says is the truth. There are many other great scenes and small, almost invisible details that maintain the tone, like a disappearing water glass that makes us question, just for a second, "Did I see what I think I saw?" We follow Leo's character every step of the way, his reality is our reality. When his reality begins to crumble it's crumbling for us too, not before. Although we may have a slight idea that he could be patient 67, we believe more that he is involved in a conspiracy and we are rooting for him to uncover it and make it out alive. That we are so sure of one reality then discover something entirely different is true is pivotal to the success of the movie. This happens because Leo is such a great actor. I was convinced every step of the way. The entire cast was great, in my opinion. A few times I thought Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) was slightly contrived, but realized later on that was part of the story. The ending isn't really a surprise ending and left me a little disappointed. There are more than enough hints along the way and foreshadowing that give us an idea of how things will end, and personally I found myself saying all along "please don't end this way". I would have preferred that the conspiracy was real- but that would have been a whole different story. Overall I liked the film and I'm going to recommend it to friends.