Scorsese thrills and chills

Rating: 8/10 (28 February 2010)

Shutter Island is based on the book of the same name by Dennis Lehane, the man who penned Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone. Needless to say this film too takes place in Boston, Lehane's stomping grounds, but this time we go outside of the city limits and into Boston Harbor. Federal Marshall Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) has been sent to investigate the disappearance of a patient at a hospital for the criminally insane on Shutter Island. He and his partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) must gather the facts, find some clues, and see what exactly happened to this missing patient.
Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) runs the show on Shutter Island. He oversees all activities with the doctors, nurses, orderlies, and guards. It is his idea that the patients on the island are not prisoners but people who are in desperate need of help through more humane means. Teddy and Chuck soon find out that not all is as it seems on the island. It's as if everyone has a secret and is scared to tell.
To make matters worse, Teddy suffers from nightmares and flashbacks about his wife (Michelle Williams) and her sudden death in an apartment fire. He tries to pull it together but the line between what is real and what is in his head slowly starts to blur, causing him to lose sight of what he is really on the island to do.
With the help of a tight screenplay by Laeta Kalogridis (Night Watch, Alexander, Pathfinder) and spectacular cinematography by one of the best in the business, Robert Richardson (Platoon, JFK, Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2, The Aviator), Scorsese is able to deliver a solid, psychological thriller. Starting with the script, I was happy that it wasn't just an exercise in exploiting the Boston accent, like too many movies and TV shows have done of late. It also does a nice job of keeping us involved with the story. Especially with thrillers, it is very easy to lose your audience if you present an idea or a plot point that is too over their head. Here we slowly learn more and more about the characters until finally at the end WHAM! The big turnaround and a very nice payoff. Credit is due to both Kalogridis and for Lehane's magnificent story.
Richardson, who is nominated this year for Inglourious Basterds, makes it clear that there isn't going to be a lot of sunshine both in the story and on the film. The very first frame we see a boat emerge from the fog as it rolls towards Shutter Island. Bringing with it Teddy, Chuck, and one heck of a storm. Scorsese and Richardson were obviously going for a stylized effect, carefully selecting the appropriate lighting for each scene, a crucial element to the film's success. Each shot is clear, crisp, and emphasizes just the right colors or lack of color.
The performances were right on the money. DiCaprio has developed quite an on screen presence. When he is in the shot we focus right on him. He gives 110% for every scene. Seeing as his character has a lot of emotional baggage, he plays it very paranoid and jumpy, unlike his partner Chuck who is more relaxed and level. DiCaprio clashes with the authorities on the island so well like Kingsley, Max von Sydow, and John Carrol Lynch. Also a great cameo performance by Jackie Earle Haley as one of the patients. His career is certainly looking brighter with each performance.
There are a few downers in the film. I thought the middle of the film was a little slow sometimes and lacked the pace and intensity of the first and last acts. The flashbacks for the most part were a little too artsy, almost to the point where it was literally pouring down on us. They felt a little out of place considering the rest of the film, but it felt okay in flashback/dream form. They were very well shot and had a particular look that I enjoy (artsy).
What I love about Scorsese, like other great filmmakers, is that regardless the theme, setting, or genre, he manages to add his own personal touch. Though there is certainly a touch of Hitchcock, the angles, composition, and overall look of the film is Scorsese. He's a incredible filmmaker who continues to make hit after hit after hit.