STARS: * * * 1/2 (3.5/4)
"You'll never leave this island"; these are the words spoken to Teddy Daniels (Leonardo di Caprio), a US Federal Marshal who has been dispatched to Shutter Island in 1954. It is his duty, along with his partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) to track down a dangerous escaped prisoner.
This is Scorsese's first film since the Oscar-winning The Departed (2006), and it doesn't disappoint. We are taken on a visual and emotional rollercoaster as we join Teddy on his mission. Almost immediately Ted is antagonised as he passes by one of the female inmates, a scary looking woman who gestures him to "keep quiet". From that moment on, the eiry scene is set. The cinematography of this film is excellent, with some stunning shots and lighting. I think of the scene when Teddy wanders into Block C, the most dangerous of them all, guided only by a match and failing corridor lights. The film has an atmosphere of doom, despair and desperation, giving the viewer a mixed sense of wanting to get off the island, yet being unable to turn away for fear of what might be lurking around the corner. The script is complex and layered, and masterfully written. All-in-all, this is a great movie.
Scorsese has assembled an outstanding cast featuring Ben Kingsley in a superb performance (and marking a great return to form) Mark Ruffalo, Max von Sydow, Jackie-Earle Haley, Michelle Williams, John Harold Lynch and Emily Mortimer. But it is Leonardo di Caprio that gives another sensational performance as Teddy Daniels. He takes us on an emotional journey, and one so complex that only an actor of the highest quality can pull it off - and he more then succeeds. If you didn't believe Di Caprio to be the finest actor of his generation, this film may go a long way to guide you to that conclusion.
To conclude, this is just a great, multi-layered and visually entertaining movie, but at times the viewer can feel a little confused by subtle plot devices that Scorsese has put in place. It takes careful viewing to notice the subtleties and nuances of this film, and is such that it could take multiple viewings to fully understand the complexity of it. However, I am left wondering why Paramount Pictures delayed the release of this film to early 2010 and not for Oscar consideration, cause it does warrant some. The film has good technical aspects, noticeably in the stunning cinematography, and also does a great job with the editing and sound.
Despite this, Shutter Island probably won't be up for many Oscars, but here's hoping thatI just that the Academy has the capacity to...remember...
(12 September 2010)
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