Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese (The Departed) once again teams up with Leonardo DiCaprio (Blood Diamond) in this spine-chilling thriller that critics say sizzles with so much suspense that it's hot to the touch. When U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) arrives at the asylum for the criminally insane on Shutter Island what starts as a routine investigation quickly takes a sinister turn. As the investigation unfolds and Teddy uncovers more shocking and terrifying truths about the island he learns there are some places that never let you go.
A man at war. with himself.
Martin Scorsese's illustrious filmography has almost exclusively been concerned with the nature of man. Men of violence, crime, passion, religion, love and ambition, to name but a few. Believe it or not, Shutter Island is Scorsese's long awaited war film.
US Marshal Teddy Daniels is a man not only haunted by the memory of his wife, Dolores, who died in tragic circumstances but also by the horrors he witnessed as an American soldier present at the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp. A troubled character, who suffers from debilitating migraines and alcohol addiction, Daniels and his new partner have been sent to the island's mental facility to deal with a dangerous missing patient.
Where most directors have focussed, whether intentionally or not, on the mechanics of war and the beautification/glorification of battles, 'Marty' takes a unique approach and gives us war as a state of mind. How war affects men and continues to affect men even after the battles are over. He provides the audience with imagery associated with the battle after the war, a battle waged in the mind of returning combatants.
The film evokes the mood and tone of Dennis Lehane's source material diligently and adds a gothic feel. As expected Shutter Island's crew of Scorsese regulars deliver a technical showcase, each member adds depth and authenticity to a multi-layered piece. The actors are superb, in particular Leonardo DiCaprio who excels as the bruised ex-soldier/detective. Michelle Williams and Ben Kingsley are also standouts in a terrific ensemble.
Shutter Island is a film that will leave you breathless and exhausted; it is a film of intense feeling, a rollercoaster ride through the mind and emotions of Teddy. Whilst watching the film I am reminded that a masterpiece is not built around a story but storytelling. This is a film that will continue to reward on repeat viewings because it has been told by arguably one of the world's greatest storytellers.
In summary: 10/10 - The criminally insane, dream sequences, crashing waves, dangerous murderer on the loose.. unsettling, chilling, gothic masterpiece.
P.S: The end credits includes a beautiful arrangement of Max Richter's composition 'On the Nature of Daylight' and Dinah Washington's vocal 'This Bitter Earth'.
Shutter Island and Inception are like two sides of the same cinematic coin and it's interesting that Leonardo DiCaprio should star in both. The stories bear some comparison, not least with the lead character being a widower still dealing with grief and letting it dictate his perception of an otherwise unrelated mystery. Perhaps the only really important, fundamental difference is in the telling of the story. While Inception is very much the modern film-making style, especially prevalent since The Matrix making the viewer gasp at spectacular set-pieces while leaving intriguing questions unanswered, Shutter Island is a decidedly old fashioned, unashamed b-movie. It is structured in a meticulous manner, as you would expect from Martin Scorcese. He turns the screws on the suspense, leading up to a stunning reveal. You won't be left asking what happened, but you'll race to see it again to learn exactly how! And because it is very much an actor's film, you'll be treated to consummate performances that reward being watched again.
DiCaprio delivers a fantastic, intense performance you can't ignore in what is after all a genre role that he could have easily got away with phoning in. As he so often does, he works potential out of every scene and finds subtleties to hook you with time and time again as Teddy finds the awful atmosphere of the asylum forcing him to face up to his grief. But as I said, this is an actor's film anyway and all the cast are superb. Mark Ruffalo as Teddy's partner is especially impressive, as is the hard to read Dr. Cawley, played by Ben Kingsley. Another worth noting is Jackie Earl Hayley, who has the briefest of moments as one of the unhinged inmates, but leaves a mark.
The story of US Marshalls investigating a missing patient and uncovering a potential conspiracy of medical experimentation, was adapted from Dennis Lehane's novel, so it should be no surprise that there is such depth to the characters. His skill is in taking rather straightforward thriller plots and making them relevant and substantial (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone), without losing the pace. Martin Scorcese compliments the story perfectly and this is probably his most playful film since Cape Fear, with some moments bordering on fantasy, like Teddy's nightmares achieved with just the right amount of CGI. He was somewhat inspired by Val Lewton's work of the 1940s (Cat People, Bedlam, etc), a producer he has championed in the past, and one who worked fast and cheap with b-movie plots, yet always had a very strong human element that made them an invaluable step in developing the Thriller genre. It positively drips with atmosphere from that era. The opening shots are especially reminiscent of Lewton's Ghost Ship, as the ferry carrying the Marshall's emerges from the mist. Scorcese with Director of Photography Robert Richardson (Inglourious Basterds) has created a film that defines sumptuous, despite the muted palette. It looks great on Blu-Ray and the extras have some real value as they delve into the actors' approach.
It seems the aim in modern filmmaking to make the audience question what they see. People are still talking about Inception, trying to interpret how the story unfolds, trying to work out Nolan the Magician. Shutter Island is reassuringly old-fashioned with a rigid. Don't try and second guess it, just enjoy it. The work going on between the cast and their director is superb, with them adding so many grace-notes that a second viewing is essential. While not as grand as Inception, I'd argue this is may be the better film.
The film was FANTASTIC!!! I won;t say too much to give the story away but it is one of the best films I have seen.
Over 10 years after his arguably most famous role in Titanic, DiCaprio is surprisingly reaching his peak in 2010. 'Shutter Island' is one of two stunning performances (the other being Christopher Nolan's 'Inception') given by DiCaprio, both far crys from anything Jack Dawson ever brought to the table.
As close to a film noir thriller as you can get in the 21st century, 'Shutter Island' is based on based on a fantastic novel by Dennis Lehane about U.S. Marshal Edward "Teddy" Daniels (DiCaprio) visiting the island to investigate a patient who has disappeared from Ashecliff Hospital - a psychiatric facility which presents a fantastically tense and unnerving setting for the story that unfolds before us.
To give away too much is to ruin the opportunity to go along for the ride. All any movie fan needs to know is that 'Shutter Island' is directed by Martin Scorsese, stars DiCaprio alongside other stalwarts of Hollywood including Sir Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams and Mark Ruffalo, and is one of the most suspenseful tales to be put on-screen in recent memory.
Go in without any pre-conceived notion of what to expect, and just genuinely enjoy the ride. I cannot recommend this movie enough.
Shutter Island was a thrilling and psychological experience for me. I was blown away by the twist ending. Leonardo DiCaprio's performance as Teddy Daniels was superb. The editing of Thelma Schoonmaker was absolutely perfect in which she edited the film in a way as to make the audience think they were going insane. Martin Scorsese is a brilliant director and this is the best film that he has ever directed since GoodFellas. I absolutely love this film and watch it repeatedly over and over again. I rate this 5/5. Although the twist ending is predictable.
We will publish your review of Shutter Island [Blu-ray] [2009] on Blu Ray within a few days as long as it meets our guidelines.
None of your personal details will be passed on to any other third party.
Mark Ruffalo and Leonardo DiCaprio team up as a pair of U.S. Marshals who travel to a secluded island off the coast of Massachusetts to search for an escaped mental patient, uncovering a web of deception along the way as they battle the forces of nature and a prison riot in this period film directed by Martin Scorsese. Laeta Kalogridis adapts Dennis Lehane's novel of the same name, with Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures splitting production and distribution duties. Ben Kingsley co-stars as the head of the institution where the patient resided, while Michelle Williams portrays Leonardo DiCaprio's deceased wife, whose memory haunts him during the investigation. Max von Sydow, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson, and Jackie Earle Haley round out the supporting cast.
Film adaptation of the psychological crime novel by Dennis Lehane, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo and Ben Kingsley. Federal Marshals Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Ruffalo) are sent to Shutter Island, home to a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane. There, they must investigate the disappearance of multiple murderer Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer), who appears to have simply vanished from the institution. It soon becomes apparent, however, that no one on the island is telling the truth, and as Daniels becomes more embroiled in the sinister goings on, he begins to question everything, even his own sanity...
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy
