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The film tells the tale of one Teddy Daniels, a U.S. Marshal who is enlisted to help find a missing criminal on Shutter Island… the home to 66 of the country's most dangerous psychotic criminals. Right from the outset, nothing feels right, and Teddy Daniels must put the pieces together before all the mystery, red herrings, and barely contained hints of the film ruin the experience for the viewer. Shutter Island does a solid job, but it easily straddles the line between complex puzzler and almost being too forward with its hints. In the end, Shutter Island is another 'twist' movie; a played out gimmick that never fails to lure in the movie fans who think they've got it all figured out… then they love to tell you when the movie is over that everything that happened in the movie is exactly what they thought would happen in the movie. Bastards. You'd think just once these cinematic Nostradamus' would write down these film-fueled premonitions, but they never do it. That's because they're liars… just like that girl who told you, 'Don't worry. Those bumps are just razor burn.'As far as being a puzzle master goes, Martin Scorsese has all of the elements and technical aspects of the 'twist' movie figured out. But sadly, Shutter Island is quite simply too clichéd to be one of the truly great twist films like The Sixth Sense or The Usual Suspects (which I still question as a valid 'twist' film by the way). The mental hospital angle opens up the door to viewer questioning as soon as Teddy Daniels sets foot on the island. The run-time of Scorsese's film is way too long and bolstered by an almost 20 minute reveal that bogs down the end of the film. Still, everything in the film looks wonderful, and as a period-piece, Shutter Island is about as good as you're going to find in a thriller. Scorsese also gets typically good performances from his actors, and while the lead up to the end of the movie may be trite and dumbed-down, the last moments are priceless. You could almost forgive the man for wasting so much time simply because the ending is perfect, tonally and cathartically. I still feel as if the delays in the film's release date might have something to do with that aesthetically displeasing expository footage which makes the film clear for all the mongos that typically see movies. But I could be wrong… maybe the retarded studios didn't force Scorsese to plop in 20 minutes of movie deuce at the film's end to make sure all movie fans, even the droolers, could figure out what was going on in the film… maybe.
As far as casting goes, the cast couldn't be any better. Ben Kingsley (BloodRayne, Twelfth Night), who seems a little off in the trailers, is actually spot on with his role. His off-ness is actually a key part of the character, and Kingsley plays it well. As a star, Leonardo DiCaprio (The Beach, The Departed) puts it on a little heavy at times, but for the most part, he is believable as Teddy Daniels, and he carries the film quite nicely. Even better, the supporting cast is piled high with talent who manage to outshine the film's stars at any given moment. Max Von Sydow (Flash Gordon, Conan The Barbarian) is superb as Dr. Cawley. Mark Ruffalo (Blindness, Zodiac) provides a nice complement to DiCaprio's Teddy Daniels, as his more down to earth detective buddy. Personal favorites Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs, Heat) and Elias Koteas (Fallen, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) show up to dominate the screen with roles that are small, but integral to the story. Everything is rounded out by a stunning performance by the next Freddy Krueger, Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen, Semi-Pro). Together, this cast combines to elevate Scorsese' somewhat pedestrian story into something that will be worth watching.The biggest problem that most people are going to have with Shutter Island is that it's not a horror movie. Once again, a major studio's marketing team has messed up audience expectations and ruined any chance that this movie has at being a success. Your average dumbass fan will look at the Shutter Island trailers and find themselves a horror movie… and I don\'t blame them. This thing was certainly marketed and sold as a horror movie, despite the fact that it is a psychological thriller. It remains to be seen if this movie can overcome the handicaps foisted upon it by unscrupulous marketing, but I\'m getting the feeling that this is a no.
In the end, Shutter Island is a slightly above average psychological thriller… nothing more and nothing less. Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest directors around, simply doesn\'t do anything with this story that would make it anything else. There are no iconic moments within, and the character of Teddy Daniels isn\'t all that interesting. The mystery has been robbed of impact by shitty marketing, over-exposing trailers, and a poorly placed 20 minutes of 'Scorsese explains it all.' But Scorsese is still a solid director, things look nice, and this is one hell of a cast… so it\'s not all a loss.For more reviews and watch free : CLICK HERE
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