Shutter Island follows U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his partner Chuck Aule as they investigate a mental health facility. Rachel Solando, a patient, went missing and Teddy and Chuck must find her, but they find a much larger mystery on the island. Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane (writer of Mystic River), Shutter Island is dark, brooding, and beautifully shot. It is another brilliant stroke from Scorsese.
The acting as a whole was top notch. Maybe finally in the mind of even the most ardent critic, Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road, The Departed) can finally break from his Titanic/Romeo + Juliet past. I know it is enough for me. DiCaprio did an amazing job as Teddy Daniels. He was dark and mysterious, and also emotionally deep. There are some very emotional scenes, and DiCaprio handled them masterfully. Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Schindler’s List) did an amazing job also. He shows such subtle brilliance as he glides through his scenes. He is entirely in charge of his movements and his lines. Other actors gave notable performances as well. Michelle Williams (Wendy and Lucy), Patricia Clarkson (The Green Mile), and Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs) really delivered in their scenes. Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen) did a good job, but a lot of people will hype his performance up more than they should be.
The story moves along very well, the book could take more time and be subtle, but the pacing was perfect for the movie. There were some very well staged shots. In certain scenes the composition and lighting was exquisite. The staging is well done, there are some very intricate locations in this story, and there were well represented in the movie. But there were some technical issues.
Some of the editing was insufficient; there were several continuity errors and even a couple focus issues. For the majority of audiences these mistakes would seem very minor, but they can be very distracting for technically minded people. It’s the little mistakes that can keep a movie from reaching elite status.
Other than some small issues Shutter Island shines. There is a good mystery here, the acting is outstanding, and it has a distinct new-school Scorsese feel. We will see if it was wise to push the movie out of this year’s Oscar race, it was originally set for an October 2009 release. It will certainly earn more money, as it has little competition this time of year. Though it could have been a solid competitor for this Oscar season. In any case, it is well worth a viewing in the theaters.
Rating: 4/5
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