HAUNTING, RIVETING THRILLER
Oscar winning director Martin Scorsese returns to the big screen after a hiatus with this chilling psychological thriller adapted from the best seller of Mystic River's Dennis Lehane. Any avid movie buff will tell you that Scorsese is a master in giving dark films with an awesome ending, be it The Departed or Cape Fear and many others. This too, is no different but Shutter Island will definitely make you awestruck for a while when you reminiscing about it.
The main plot is set in Massachusetts in 1954 which has U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) venture into Shutter Island, a place where a mental institution, Ashecliffe Hospital is located. They go on an investigation spree to find out the inexplicable disappearance of a patient named Rachel Solondo. During their investigation, they are frequently obstructed by the hospital warden and their increasingly petulant Dr. Cawley (Sir Ben Kingsley) who boasts of creating a new revolutionary method for treating the criminal insane. As Daniels begins to suspect some internal hand in the disappearance of Rachel, he starts getting haunted by his late wife’s images Dolores (Michelle Williams) and the atrocities witnessed by him as an officer during World War II.
The investigation gets marred by a turbulent tropical storm but that does not stop Daniels from searching for Rachel with even more fervor. A series of twists occur in the tale whereby Daniels finds Rachel and his partner Chuck goes missing in the asylum. A search for Chuck by Daniels leads him into an abandoned lighthouse where his confrontation with Dr. Cawley leads into a even bigger and flummoxing twist which is sure to leave the audience baffled and gasping for breath.
Shutter Island revolves around Leonardo DiCaprio. He seems to be getting better and better with each film he does with Scorsese. Like The Aviator and The Departed, Scorsese creates an impeccable plot and intensifies the pressure and psyches out the audience at the end. The rest of the cast is apt and rock solid. You will definitely become an instant fan of Mark Ruffalo and Ben Kingsley after watching the movie. The scene where they try to appease DiCaprio in the lighthouse is definitely the highlight of the movie.
The movie in itself is an awesome riddle. If you can recollect all the scenes and piece them together, you will find that all the riddles fit into the script perfectly. From the opening shot, Scorsese creates a sense of gloominess and murkiness which prevails throughout the film. The art direction is outstanding and the light house and the asylums are picturesque.
On the whole, Shutter Island is a handsomely well-made psychological thriller which has semblances of Hitchcock’s yesteryear thrillers like Vertigo and North by Northwest. The movie is a definite watch just for the screenplay and some solid acting from the lead cast.
