If you appreciate films, your eyes are sure not to shutter

Rating: 10/10 (18 October 2011)

I saw "Shutter Island" for the third time last night, and even though it's still meant to be a mystery thriller, you'd think that once you know the mystery, you don't need to see it again. Well that's where you and I are both wrong. Each time I watch it, the mystery remains as strong and as complex as ever. This is much more than a mystery thriller, it's an experience, very much similar to "Black Swan", we meet a man who seems completely sane when we first meet him, and a mystery that sounds quite simple, but as we stay longer on the island and as the plot thickens, we turn as crazy as Teddy, which is what makes "Shutter Island" so utterly absorbing.
Probably the most important feature to note, which is what makes this film such a masterpiece, is Martin's superb direction. Right from the first shot on the boat with the obvious green screen backdrop, we immediately get the feel for what time zone we're in. Directing as careful and as attention to detail as this is extremely rare to come across nowadays. Martin puts the audience right in the middle so we can experience the horrors with Teddy, as we are quite literally placed into his mind. Some of the flash-back sequences are so emotional (particularly the last one which is amazingly intense, especially at the cinema). Martin makes everything feel real. Which is what makes it so gripping.
The screenplay is also first class. My family all find "Shutter Island" boring, and I think it's because half the time they can't be bothered to listen to what the mystery is about, so they get completely lost and bored. "Shutter Island" has an extremely complex and very interesting story that deserves to be listened to and appreciated. It's almost Tarantino-like in a way, as it turns everything into a philosophy and really provokes thought from the audience. It's involving and if you do actually listen you will be completely on edge the whole time, right up until the shocking ending, which clearly had a lot of thought put into it.
The performances are also compelling, with Leonardo probably in one of his best roles. he plays Teddy how he should be, confused, emotionally torn apart and extremely intelligent. The supports are also good with Leonardo's creepy wife, Delores, also played with flare and air of ambiance.
"Shutter Island" is one of the best films I have ever seen. Almost everything about it is perfect, it's beautifully written, directed to perfection with lots of thrills, tension and sizzling suspense. Really, if you haven't seen "Shutter Island" you are missing out on one of the most compelling and original stories in decades. See it now!