"Why are you all wet?"

Rating: Null/10 (20 February 2010)

For a pseudo-noir film where "God" is mentioned in passing half a dozen times, Shutter Island has the same feel as a vintage Twilight Zone episode. The ones introduced by creator Rod Serling. There's a twist ending coming, for sure, but where-as the black and white series delivered some well-written, unexpected surprise endings, on Shutter Island blatant hints deter from any plausible surprise twists coming. Michelle Williams does nice work in her haunting role, but the truth about her character's demise lands like a thud when it's revealed. Jackie Earle Haley delivers crackling tension in his cameo, but that's the problem. It's just a cameo, and his character is leagues more interesting than the rest of the ensemble. Scorsese handles the direction well, but this is not like 'Cape Fear' at all! There is no Max Cady running loose. The musical score evokes feeling, but the story itself lacks any component of Faith or discussion of "God." Such a shame for a film that searches for truths to the protagonist's dilemma, a la 'Identity' with John Cusack, and ends unsure of what "truth" is.