Shutter Island

Secrets, secrets, secrets. Everyone has theirs and Shutter Island is full of them. This film was pushed back from October and from watching the trailers for some time, I was expecting a pretty good film. After viewing, to call Shutter Island "pretty good" would be an insult. Shutter Island is everything that one could hope from a thriller. The acting, direction, script and music. Everything. This film is nothing short of amazing. Shutter Island is stunning and spectacular.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo star as Teddy Daniels & Chuck Aule, respectively, as federal marshals sent to this island to investigate the disappearance of a female patient who went missing from her room the night before. Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) is the man behind the whole set up on the island. It his methods that all of these criminally insane patients are being treated. As their investigation into this woman's disappearance begins it becomes clear early on that nothing is how it is seems to be on the island. Daniels wants to end the investigation early, however, a huge storm like hurricane is looming over the island and no one is going anywhere. There is no outside communication because, of course this is the '50s, so the radios and telephone lines are down. The film continues to delve deeper into the mystery and both Daniels and Aule are forced with questions that they don't want to hear and nobody seems to have answers to. Daniels is having to deal with his own personal demons because his wife (played in flashbacks by Michelle Williams) was killed in a fire at their apartment. While present day was mostly visually depressing, dark and real the flashbacks were more "artsy" and alive with color. He can't let her go and the man who set the fire was a patient on the island and he wants to find him after he also disappeared without a trace. Daniels has to face his demons with this, and the answers are not the answers he was hoping for. I won't spoil how the film answers all the questions and how all of the secrets are revealed but it's nothing less than shocking. The characters in the film are having their minds played with but as the viewer, you do too. The plot of the film moves way past the investigation of the missing woman and into something much bigger. The questions of Shutter Island are real mysteries. The answers are unlike anything imaginable and the secrets revealed are shocking. The film will have you guessing until the credits roll. Leonardo DiCaprio gives quite possibly the best performance of his career and Martin Scorseses' direction is at his highest standard. The music of the film fits perfectly and creates a tone that will not be forgotten. The film does have a pretty lenghty running time (138 minutes with the end credits) but effectively uses every minute. The film does not feel slow at all. I always run into this problem with a film that I review that I thought was amazing. It doesn't take long at all to run out of things to write. This film offers everything and is an eerie mystery that should not be missed for any reason.

Shutter Island is so good that mine, or anyone's reviews, could never do it justice. This film is haunting, disturbing, intriguing and chilling. The film is strong right from the very beginning and to the final scene, it never lets up. I can't remember the last time that a film pulled me in like Shutter Island did. Any film that has been made on the questions of insanity has nothing on this film. Shutter Island is an epic masterpiece that will blow your mind.

Final Verdict: A