Great source material, unsatisfactory adaptation

Rating: 5/10 (3 April 2011)

Firstly, if you haven't seen the film, before you do, do not try and learn anything about it or ask anyone if it's any good, stop reading and just watch it- you'll enjoy it more. Secondly, I see this a lot these days; great source material that has good potential is often wasted when translated to another genre, and unfortunately this is the case with Shutter Island.
The story and characters are both very good, with a well-paced narrative that never feels rushed or awkward despite being adapted from a book and with DiCaprio doing a good job as the protagonist we sympathise for him and we come to understand that he is rather complex. However, my gripes lie, unfortunately, with the writing and the acting. Perhaps it's because I'm spoiled by gems such as The Social Network that are fantastically well-scripted and convincing, so anything that falls below my expectations I deem as bad. But there were some moments in Shutter Island where I was really taken out of the experience by how hollow and one-note some of the characters were. Conversations were spoken as if the actors were in different rooms for the most part, with no characters thinking or reacting to what's been said, they're just spouting what they've been told to say. Of course this isn't present for the entire film, but frequently enough for me to be pulled out of the story and start glancing at my watch.
Another issue I had with it being adapted from a book, is that in a novel, all exposition is through dialogue or introspection - nevertheless, with words. Film also holds the visual element, but here often fails to use it. Many of the important plot points that could have been briefly explained visually with possible narration were told just through characters standing and talking to one another for lengthy periods. The film devolves into non-naturalism on multiple occasions so why it couldn't have in those instances baffles me, because it would have made the story so much more involving.
The writing in general is not terrible, but it occasionally feels awkward when characters are forced to switch rapidly between two emotions, as if the script was written in sections by different people; one second they could be sarcastic and calm - the next extremely angry and aggressive with no clear sign of irritation. Which brings me to the directing. I know Scorsese is a legend, but here it's below average with pans that feel out of place and cuts feel unnatural, as if they were pointless, or they feel like we've missed something. This is probably also due to bad editing, with cuts being too early or too late, or characters movements being repeated from a different angle that disrupts flow. My problem with character interaction maybe that reaction shots were simply edited out, making performances feel wooden when they were not. Some parts, also don't gel well with others; there is a sequence in which DiCaprio comes across a man who offers him a ride to somewhere on the island. He accepts and they begin to drive to their destination, but the driver starts philosophically rambling on about a major theme that was previously mentioned, and I felt as if I was being hammered in the face with a message. It had no story relevance, no character development, just a big fat message slapping me across the face that was integrated so extremely poorly that I couldn't help but cringe inside.
On the positive, however, the film was at its best when it diverted from realism to a more symbolic and dream-like style that could either be memories or foreshadowing or something else - and that ambiguity is engaging, it keeps you guessing and sometimes you're never sure what is reality and what is not. The ending was good also, as it brought together all the little traces from around the story and brought them together in a shocking and satisfying way, and although I guessed most of it - there will definitely be moments when you go 'so that's what that meant!'.
Overall, worth a watch, but I'd recommend the book over the film as the plot and characters are the most interesting parts which are just airlifted from it anyway.