Hitchcock-esquire, atmospheric mystery that held me comfortably in my seat for 2 1/2 hours.

Rating: 7/10 (21 February 2010)

I wish I could experience the movie without having read the book. A mystery isn't very mysterious when you know the outcome. I was interested and entertained, but not enthralled. Unfortunately, except for Ben Kingsley's perfect performance (as usual), over-acting ran rampant. That coupled with the heavy, melodramatic music punctuating the brooding backdrop of a mental asylum on a rocky island with a hurricane lashing its shores, it was more typical of a movie for audiences of the 1950's than 2010. Perhaps Scorcese wanted it that way since it was set in 1954. I found it a little over the top. If it had been toned down just a notch, I think I'd have given it at least an 8. The story was complex and compelling in its own right and handled pretty well; however, I wonder if the atmosphere got in the way a bit.