What's really going on at that mental hospital?

Rating: 6/10 (11 September 2010)

What better premise and setting locale for a thriller than a mental hospital for violent criminals?
With veteran Martin Scorcese at the helm, this mystery/thriller hits all its high notes for a suitably bumpy ride. Leo Dicaprio brings urgency to his portrayal of a federal marshal with a spotted history. He and his new partner (Mark Ruffalo), go to investigate the disappearance of a patient from a high security mental facility on a secluded island. The missing patient had brutally murdered her own children, and her treatment included innovative therapy. Soon, however, suspicions of something larger and more involved than one patient's absence begin to emerge.
The solid cast includes Ben Kingsley, as one of the suspicious and evasive psychiatrists in charge; an imposing presence who exerts power with monotonal speech always restricted to the same volume. Michelle Phillips may be the best of all as a wretchedly psychotic and ghostly apparition that shadows and torments the soul of the investigating officer. Jackie Earl Haley's one brief scene is convincing, even eerie. The action paces well, providing structure for the plot's concept, while never overshadowing it. The ongoing storm helps maintain the mood and objective of the story very well, and this familiar motif is made fresh in the way that it's used.
The movie's only weakness is that too much is strongly hinted at through flashbacks and other techniques that too soon give away the surprise of the vital twist ending. Everything that you see points in that same direction, which is more difficult to conceal than usual to begin with, since this particular twist (with minor variations) has been utilized before. Even though what is finally revealed seems an unlikely scenario,.
Still, although the script doesn't conceal key elements well enough, the cast and director make this a pretty entertaining watch.