The chilling journey to Shutter Island is one worth taking.

Rating: 8/10 (8 July 2010)

Martin Scorsese is one of the last living legends of film-making. His latest offering Shutter Island once again stars his current muse Leonardo DiCaprio and continues their tradition of creating quality cinema together. Though the film doesn't reach high tier Scorsese, this effective mystery story proves that the director is still very much a master of his craft.
The story weaves a web of intrigue surrounding an escaped prisoner on the mysterious Shutter Island, home to the Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. DiCaprio stars as US Marshall Teddy Daniels, who, along with his partner played by Mark Ruffalo, is sent to assist in the investigation and re-apprehension of the patient. They are met with underscored hostility and reserved answers from the staff, which leads Daniels to believe that there is more to the island and its facility than the staff are letting on.
Scorsese presents his audience with images that instill a sense of uneasiness that never lets up. His use of a hurricane, decaying buildings, and disturbing nightmares prove incredibly effective in drenching the film's atmosphere with uncertainty and confusion. With a haunting score and lovely, dreary cinematography by veteran Robert Richardson rounding out the sense of impending doom nicely.
The movie's themes are hard to discuss without spoiling the shocking finale, but know that they deal with the power of our mind and how easily we can use that power to deceive ourselves, preventing us from having to accept the truth, especially when it is ugly and unbearable. Such dark themes make the overall affair rather depressing to witness, but this is also its greatest strength.
The film's biggest weakness is that it is billed as a thriller, and though Scorsese is obviously trying to draw viewers to the edge of their seat, he often fails, obtaining a strong level of uncertainty rather than fearful anxiety. This makes the film work more as an intriguing mystery.
If you are in search of a thoughtful, adult film that is loaded with subtle chills and superb performances, Shutter Island is a place you want to visit. Just beware that what you see there is not always reality.