Review: Shutter Island (2010)
March 10th 2010 04:31
Shutter Island (2010, Scorsese)
Written March 9, 2010
Shutter Island, based upon the titular novel by Dennis Lehane and directed by Martin
Scorsese is actually a rather deep, haunting psychological drama masking itself as a suspense thriller. To fully explain that sentence would require a spoiler of all the film’s (and book’s for that matter) secrets. Thus, this review will be cryptic at best. Shutter Island plays itself out as a crime thriller, as two Boston Marshals travel to an ominous island in 1956 to investigate the disappearance of a psychiatric patient but moreover the shady doings of the asylum itself. Leonardo DiCaprio gives one of his most captivating performances to date as Teddy Daniels, a man with a mysterious past and even more mysterious headaches and memories. His partner is Chuck, played by Mark Ruffalo. Daniels has only just met Chuck but trusts him implicitly; at least at first. The interactions between DiCaprio and Ruffalo are intriguing and among the film’s best moments. Another highlight is the remembered and imagined interactions between Ted and his deceased wife, Dolores (Michelle Williams).
Shutter Island, however, does have flaws. Specifically, it hits a lull in the second act and it takes a while for it to climb back out. Scorsese’s directing is uncharacteristically heavy handed and showy. Scorsese has always been stylized but he’s rarely in your face. Instead of letting the events unfold, he resorts to overcompensation with close-ups and camera techniques attempting to instill constant paranoia and suspense. This utterly fails. It’s as if Scorsese felt he needed to keep viewers on the edge of their seat every single second when this wasn’t exactly that kind of film—it’s not that kind of story, even. This film needed room to breathe and for large parts it was not afforded that luxury. Moreover, the music (which apparently is not a score but a selection of contemporary instrumental pieces by) belongs in a different film. If the film was re-cut and replaced with different (or even no) music it might have worked on nearly every level. Instead, the existing music lends to the film’s overcompensation and need to instill unbridled suspense and tension. And we’re never as tense as the music or the film wants; but what Shutter Island doesn’t seem to understand is we never needed to be – it is still interesting and intriguing without the gimmicks. The film is carried by incredible performances and some wonderful moments. The flaws mentioned herein are, in the long run, minor and do not diminish the film on an overall level. You’ll leave the theater feeling rather satisfied and honestly, that’s all you need. Scorsese doesn’t need to make a masterpiece every time his hand touches a camera. For someone of his caliber, it’s fine to simply entertain once and a while. He ultimately delivers this with Shutter Island, but not without a lot of help from his friends.
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