Scorsese blows my mind

Rating: 8/10 (30 July 2012)

Shutter Island was a mind blowing experience to say the least. Twists and turns in the story kept me guessing and this film had a lot of strengths like the story, directing, acting, character development, plot twists, and music. Yes, music. Music is the most underrated part of a movie. Music can make a movie and in Shutter Island the music was scary and it fit perfectly. It was suspenseful and appropriate. Leo DiCaprio did his usual fantastic job acting but his character was one a member of the audience could love and rout for. I felt sorry for his character and thought his experience was tragic. His acting was commendable starting as a skeptic marshal. His witty comments towards patients and psychology fit his character. Eventually he became obsessed and crazier as the film went on. Leo played a crazy man perfectly with the shaking and paranoia. Scorsese did an awesome job keeping the audience guessing and a little puzzled as to what was going on. That is a positive and a negative. Confused viewers are never good and could turn them away from the movie but it made me more curious to see what was going to happen. After seeing the movie twice you notice hints and clues to the ending result and that is brilliant. Little Easter eggs that make you feel foolish for not noticing the first time. The 1st dream is probably the most important scene in the film. It gives everything away but portrays it so you think what the director wants you to think and it works perfectly. That was the best part of the movie. You thought you knew what was going on and you thought you figured it out then it turned around and you are back at the beginning. The ending to the movie is very open-ended and I usually hate open ended movies but this worked very well. I like for a director to pick an ending and stick to it but this move allows the audience to kind of choose their own ending. Is Teddy Daniels real? Is Dr. Cowley right and he is really Andrew Laeddis and criminally insane? These are questions the viewer can answer themselves. Anyone can think of an ending and be happy. Me personally, I think he did kill his wife and she did drown her children. Andrew Laeddis is real and he was on Shutter Island for two years as a patient. Did Teddy Daniels believe he was Teddy Daniels at the end? I don't think so. I think he didn't want to live with the fact that he killed his wife and live as a "monster" so he decided to die as Teddy Daniels, or a "good man." Rachel Solando was not a patient but I do believe the lady in the cave did exist and she was a doctor and everything she said was true. That's my opinion and I love the fact that I can put my own spin on the movie. Shutter Island was also realistic. This movie didn't literally happen but the ideas are true. Your mind can really shut out negative thoughts and drive u mentally insane. It is possible to think you are not in prison and are at home with your children. That is what made the story believable. Lobotomies actually happened and "ghosts" actually existed. The idea of medicine for the time period, new methods, and the power of the mind, all made this movie even better. Scorsese clearly did his homework for this movie nailing every detail. To fully understand this movie I had to watch it two or three times and fully pay attention. This is not a movie you casually watch, you have to commit to it to enjoy it and that hurts the movie. Overall I lived it and could watch it again and again and still be surprised what I find. I give this movie 8 out of 10.