Stays true to the book.

Rating: 8/10 (13 July 2010)

While the film was in theatres, I took my chance to read the book that made this film come alive. The book was fantastic and puzzles and twists were very surprising. When the film reached my local video store, I took my chance to grab it off the shelf and view it. The film does a good job of having the same atmosphere and dialog as the book while also staying true to it, as well. The cast did an excellent job of portraying the characters in the book and their performances were over the top. If I hadn't read the book, I would've given this film a perfect ten but that could, sadly, not happen since I already knew what was going to happen and it made the film a bit more boring. The dialog in Shutter Island is mostly what you read in the book but the people who say those lines do a really good job. Two particular lines that were used in both the film and books were, "Thorns as big as my d*ck." and "Pull yourself together, Teddy." and I remember them a bit more than the others because one was funny and the other one was cool. So cool in fact is that I wake up every morning and splash water onto my face and stare at the mirror and exactly say that line. The acting was top notch in this motion picture with Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, and Jackie Earle Haley taking the top four spots. Leonardo DiCaprio, in my opinion, did a superb job of portraying Teddy Daniels and my vision of Teddy was what Leonardo gave us. He plays a U.S. marshal who is investigating the disappearance of one of the patients from the Ashcliff Hospital for the criminally insane. Along the way he discovers puzzles and finds out that everybody is keeping a secret from him. He really gave a convincing act. Ben Kingsley does a well done job of Dr. John Cawley, who is the somewhat mysterious, and his accent is really cool. Mark Ruffalo plays the partner of Teddy, Chuck Aule, as they are sent to the hospital where a mystery plagues the entire hospital. Ruffalo impressed me a lot in this film and he does a good job of knowing nothing when he really does. The best and by the far most impressive actor has to be Jackie Earle Haley for his wonderful role as George Noyce, a mental nutcase who speaks in riddles. Haley knows how to act in a good, realistic way and that is what separated him from everyone else and made him the king of Shutter Island. A lot of people are saying that this isn't one of the Scorsese's best works but I have to disagree and say that this his second best film after, of course, "The Departed". I suggest that you stop listening to these remarks and just be immersed into this complex yet fascinating mystery/thriller/horror. The wardrobe for this film matches the year it was set in and it does give the film a 1954 feeling. The makeup is quite good as well from the hairstyles to the facial makeup.
In 1954, Federal Marshal Teddy Daniels and his new partner, Chuck Aule, from Seattle travel to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of a patient there, Rachel Solando. She had been sectioned at the institution for dangerous criminals at Ashcliffe Hospital, because she drowned her three kids. Teddy is a veteran WWII soldier, traumatized by the war experience in the liberation of the Duchan concentration camp and the loss of his beloved wife in a criminal fire. Teddy is unable to access the records of employees and patients and feels that his investigation is obstructed by the management by the Federal facility. Teddy has severe migraines and when there is a storm; Teddy and Chuck find that they are stranded in the island. Teddy interviews the internees and follows a lead to the lighthouse, where he discloses the mystery about the Shutter Island.
Roger Ebert wrote in his review, "the movie is about: atmosphere, ominous portents, the erosion of Teddy's confidence and even his identity. It's all done with flawless directorial command. Scorsese has fear to evoke, and he does it with many notes." and I have to agree with that. He awarded the film 3 and a half stars. People on IMDb who wrote negatively about the film mostly complained about the ending and how they would have liked it to go in another direction. Well, I have a message for them: LIVE WITH IT! The ending was as perfect as it gets but in the film you don't get as much shock form it like the shock you get by reading the book. If anyone is reading this review make sure that you don't read any reviews that contain spoilers because most of them ruin the surprise ending and with a delicate film like this it is easy to say, "Sh*t! I wish I could go back in time!!AHH!". The flashbacks that haunt Teddy are portrayed in a mean, nasty way from the war, his life, and his wife. This film should be recommended to people who love Scorsese's works because this is one of his masterpieces that you have to feast upon. I also strongly suggest is that, if you can, read the book before you watch the film because it will make you want to view the film more. I watched it so I could compare this with the book and I was very happy as a result. 8/10 - Shutter Island is a film that you can't miss out on and that is a rule!
"Over and Out." 13 July, 2010.