Whenever Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio hook up, the result is an instant classic, right? Those who have seen either "Gangs of New York" or "The Departed" may certainly think so. Those who have only seen "Shutter Island" might think you were crazy -- cause everything about the film itself seems to be. Born out of a great book by Dennis Lehane, author of "Mystic River" and "Gone Baby Gone," the film version is a seeming flop, certainly not worthy of the cast, the budget, or the constantly revised release date.
DiCaprio plays Teddy Daniels, a U.S. Marshall in 1954 sent to Shutter Island, a mental institution off the coast of Boston (Bahhston), to investigate the disappearance of an inmate who has seemingly "disappeared into thin air." Along for the ferry ride is Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), Daniels new partner who is equally skeptical of the whole ordeal.
Once on the island, things begin to get a little kooky. A massive storm/hurricane hits the island, keeping the marshalls on the rock, despite assuming the investigation is over. The men assumed the escapee has died if she had gotten out of the compound and that there isn't much more to learn. But Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) and the Warden (Ted Levine) seem pretty intent on keeping the men around. And then there's the whole issue of what happened to Daniels wife, and the man committed to the island for his role in her death...
This isn't a bad movie and it is pretty well made and acted. I just had really high expectations because I'd read the book, and there was a lot of hype leading up to its release. Also, the twist isn't as out of left field as they'd make you believe. It is interesting, but at times drags; the film runs about two and a half hours, so I found myself drifting occasionally.
"Shutter Island"" is rated R for bad language (including bad accents), violence, and generally creepy scenes.
6 out of 10 stars
Here's the trailer:
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