Rugged rocks of surprise and suspense...

Rating: 7/10 (9 April 2010)

Scorseses' latest flirt with Leonardo DiCaprio takes us into the 1950's on the remote 'Shutter Island' through the eyes of U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels. Daniels and his new partner, Chuck Aule ( Mark Ruffalo)have been sent to a hospital for the insane that dominates the tiny island in an attempt to investigate the disappearance of a child murdering and disturbed woman. However, events soon cloud the supposedly straightforward disappearance and also Daniels' judgement as they realise that the island harbours a much more sinister secret.
Shutter Island promises the usual grit and grime we've come to expect from Scorsese and much more. Trailers for the film suggest an 'edge-of- your-seat' thriller with images of a disturbed woman that resembles something out of The Grudge. However, if you're expecting the next scariest thing since Paranormal Activity then look else where, because this just isn't it. Although the tone of suspense runs throughout the film, it is in no way dominant.
I was personally surprised to see people attending the film expecting an out and out horror; that just isn't Scorsese. With this in mind, the film can be seen as a victim of its marketing. This has happened countless times previous, more recently with M Night Shyamalan's The Village. With The Village, masses of people were left let down by the lack of horror in the film, causing them to ignore a much deeper side. I fear this could potentially end up being the case with Shutter Island.
Poor marketing aside, Shutter Island takes the audience on an intense psychological journey that echoes elements of The Aviator. We are drawn into the increasingly paranoid mind of our protagonist, Daniels which evidently sets us up for a killer blow. DiCaprio, as we've come to expect, delivers a near flawless performance depicting Daniels to perfection. His co star, Mark Ruffalo similarly doesn't disappoint. Once again we see him playing the friendly supportive type we've come to expect and acts as the perfect tonic to DiCaprio's Daniels, ensuring the film never becomes too heavy.
All in all, I'd advise everybody to see this film, but to forget anything they previously expected from it in order to enjoy it fully.
Separated from generic convention, Shutter Island will take the audience on an intense ride before hitting them with a killer blow that will resonate long after the theatre lights are raised.