Sleeper hit

Rating: 7/10 (8 June 2016)

When this movie came out, I didn't hear much about it. It sort of fell under the radar of top movies of 2010, despite having DiCaprio in it and Scorsese directing it. I'm pretty sure this had to do with somewhat of a marketing problem; with both top talents coming off the Departed, and Scorsese so stereotyped for his crime dramas, what is he doing making a psychological mystery drama? It just didn't add up on paper, and critics didn't laud it like they do with most of his movies (it only has a 63 rating on metascore).
So after a recommendation from somebody on IMDb to watch this movie, checking it and seeing it was in the top 250, and finally having a little spare time to catch up on some movies I've missed, I decided to give it a try and liked it.
There is so much to talk about, but to keep it simple, this is a movie for anyone who likes to think and enjoys being challenged when watching a film. In other words, Nolan fans will probably love this film. In fact, once it ended I could have sworn this was a Nolan movie. But, with that being said, I actually think Scorsese handles it better than Nolan would have. Scorcese has a more attentiveness to detail and is a true master at filmmaking. Although this is nowhere near his ordinary genre releases, he still has the master hand at nuance and his vision comes in handy for a film that might be less likable at the hands of a lesser class of director.
The thing that I really liked about this movie is that it showed its hand early on. Anyone paying attention and with a basic intelligence will know within the first fifteen minutes, or at least suspect one of the big twists. But that's what I liked; because Scorcese decided not to hide it early on, it isn't actually a twist. He lets the viewer know early on, but the way he unveils what you are expecting with little hints and nuances here and there until it delves more and more into what you are expecting until finally it is as clear as night and day is an entertaining journey. This is so much so that you know there has to be more to it.
Yet, he doesn't rely heavily on trickery; he is not trying to confuse the viewer. In fact, he is respecting their intelligence. He knows that they know, but there is still so much more to the story and so many more themes to be pondered, mentioned, and discussed, that knowing the reveal early on is just part of the perplexing puzzle. Now, he challenges the viewer in other ways, with themes such as medical ethics and psychological defense mechanisms.
I also found a powerful theme being that for anyone with any sort of psychological illness, the implied key to healing is to "face" reality, not run from it. The character must first admit the truth before they can make any progress and cope with it.
The most interesting part of the story and scene for me was the flashback to when he was a marshal and came home to his wife because this was the first flashback that was real and explained the story. Here, we see the reality of what really happened so we finally know after all those twisted delusions that you're never quite sure how real they are, and suspect they might not be. There were so many layers on layers in this film.
It is mesmerizing, well acted, and has several outstanding qualities, despite a few flaws. However, it won't be for everyone.
This is a film that will specifically be enjoyed by people who really like psychological thrillers, mysteries that make you think, and movies that are unique and different. I recommend this as an overall entertaining movie. If you like this, you'll also like Identity, The Game, Memento, and Inception.