Scorsese + My Favourite Genre = Win

Rating: 8/10 (20 February 2010)

After the disappearance of one of the patients on Shutter Island, two Marshalls are assigned to the case and figure out what's going on. The only problem is that the people working there aren't really helping, and weird things start happening.
Scorsese and my favourite genre? Instant win. The film is so masterfully crafted and well shot that it almost feels too good to be a part of this genre. Yet the script and theme fits perfectly. Yes, I knew the ending when they first showed the trailer ages ago, but that did not spoil the intrigue and suspense this film had. There were even a few surprises added on which was nice.
Dicaprio is again, on his game. He pulls out crazy very well. It's not a spoiler that he goes a little crazy while investigating, it's all over the trailers. Added to the cast of characters if Mark Ruffalo, he does his best as the sidekick, Ben Kingsley and Max Von Sydow as eerie doctors , Elias Koteas in creepy make-up in one scene and a scene stealing Jackie Earle Haley.
The film has it's Kubrick feel here and there, but it's Scorsese's stamp on it. It doesn't reach the heights of his previous efforts, but it's still better than 90% of the stuff that's out there. Scorsese knows this genre well enough to know where to pull the strings. The music is a key part in this and the restriction of jump scares shows that this is a well done film that wants to focus more on it's story, than to scare the audience.
That being said, the film is not scary, but it does make you feel uneasy at times. When they go to Ward C, you can't help but feel the hair on your neck stand up as they search the halls.
The twist is obvious, but the unravelling of everything is interesting enough to keep your attention. At times I did question myself, but in the end I knew I was right. Scorsese is able to chip away piece by piece the lead character's sanity to make the film work. Some people may feel cheated, others will like it. I found myself liking it, even if some of it is a bit out there.
Shutter Island is one of the better films you'll probably see this year, it's no masterpiece and it tends to be a the long side of the running time, but it works.