You may go insane...

Rating: 9/10 (10 August 2019)

Martin Scorsese is a director who I've always respected. All the films that I have seen of his are outstanding. Shutter Island proves why he's such a talented director.
Back in 2010 when Shutter Island came out, it only got mildly positive reviews and didn't really win many awards which is something I don't understand. This movie is a gem that is equally interesting and intense.
The cinematography in this movie is great. This is a movie which requires the full attention of the audience. When I saw this movie, especially on my second viewing, I noticed many clever hidden clues and details that were so purposeful to the main storyline. The music is really good. It forms this ominous notion that leaves a cold feeling in your stomach.
Our main star, Leonardo DiCaprio, gave one of the finest peformances of his career. DiCaprio invoked a variety of emotions to his character which made us really care about him. Mark Ruffalo was also really good but I felt that if someone else would've done his role, they might've done a better job. Ben Kingsley gave a really good performance as well. Michelle Williams is such a good actress and she shows it here. The level of depth and emotion she brings out to her short but meaningful role is incredible. She is terrific here.
Having seen the movie twice, my appreciation towards this film grew a lot. The writer, Laeda Kalogridis, did the source material justice. Her script brought so many twists and turns to the plot that I had completely no idea where the film was headed. I loved the sense of ambiguity given to the story and its characters as it made the ending of the film much more surprising. The screenplay along with Scorsese's direction made it feel larger than life. Scorsese used this script and his approach to directing it was marvellous. The atmosphere created throughout is consistent. There is a constant sense of intensity and suspense lurking within each shot. As the film progresses, it starts to get more insane and this feeling of insanity is what goes through your and Teddy Daniels' mind. This allows us to relate to Daniels and be with him on a personal level. There are many subtleties that are included in the framing of the shot which Scorsese purposely implemented. That's what makes Shutter Island a smart film.
If you watch the movie once, you may notice a few editing errors. However, after seeing it again, you perceive those errors in a different perspective and realise that there is a reasoning for it. That's the beauty of Shutter Island. Each viewing gets better and better as you discover more and more. If you haven't seen this movie, I urge you now to go see it as soon as possible.