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Review: Shutter Island Martin Scorsese returns for his first film since The Departed, a film that needs no more hype around these parts. Returning with him is Leonardo DiCaprio, their 4th film together over the last decade. DiCaprio plays U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels, who is brought to investigate the disappearance of a patient at Shutter Island, a maximum security hospital for the criminally insane. When he tries to get answers, it seems nothing is at all what it seems. This is possibly Scorsese’s most mainstream film in his storied career, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t try to put his own personal touches on this blockbuster. I don’t want to say much more of the plot, as this is a mystery-thriller. I won’t mention any actual plot points, but I will give my analysis of it, so if you want to know nothing at all, stop here. For me, the film is on that borderline of being brilliant or bullshit. Scorsese plays with the mind of the audience as well as he plays with the mind of DiCaprio’s Teddy Daniels. However, I totally understand anyone who feels the film is cheap; Scorsese makes some controversial choices that are dependent on the audience not only being intrigued by the mystery, but being totally invested in it. It is a film that feels very long because of how plotted it is, so it requires the audiences full attention to be fully appreciated. The acting is influenced very heavily in 50 and 60’s detective dramas, and at times is very hammed up. However, I think there may be a reason for that, which you might understand after finishing the film. I really enjoyed the performances of Patricia Clarkson and Jackie Earle Haley, two consistently solid character actors. I, however, was not a big fan of many of the technical aspects of the film, such as the score or the art direction. The choices are bold to be sure, but they just didn’t work for me. I will say Shutter Island is a film that you should see, but you have to be willing to give it a chance. I know I want to see it again to better understand the intricacies in Scorsese’s story-telling. So for a film that is a either an A or a C. The more I think about the film, the more I like it, but I’m still not a huge fan of some of the artistic choices taken in the film. This grade could change after a second or third viewing, but right now I’ll go with… Grade: B or ★★★ ½ (Out of 5)

Review: Shutter Island

Martin Scorsese returns for his first film since The Departed, a film that needs no more hype around these parts. Returning with him is Leonardo DiCaprio, their 4th film together over the last decade. DiCaprio plays U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels, who is brought to investigate the disappearance of a patient at Shutter Island, a maximum security hospital for the criminally insane. When he tries to get answers, it seems nothing is at all what it seems.

This is possibly Scorsese’s most mainstream film in his storied career, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t try to put his own personal touches on this blockbuster. I don’t want to say much more of the plot, as this is a mystery-thriller. I won’t mention any actual plot points, but I will give my analysis of it, so if you want to know nothing at all, stop here.

For me, the film is on that borderline of being brilliant or bullshit. Scorsese plays with the mind of the audience as well as he plays with the mind of DiCaprio’s Teddy Daniels. However, I totally understand anyone who feels the film is cheap; Scorsese makes some controversial choices that are dependent on the audience not only being intrigued by the mystery, but being totally invested in it. It is a film that feels very long because of how plotted it is, so it requires the audiences full attention to be fully appreciated.

The acting is influenced very heavily in 50 and 60’s detective dramas, and at times is very hammed up. However, I think there may be a reason for that, which you might understand after finishing the film. I really enjoyed the performances of Patricia Clarkson and Jackie Earle Haley, two consistently solid character actors. I, however, was not a big fan of many of the technical aspects of the film, such as the score or the art direction. The choices are bold to be sure, but they just didn’t work for me.

I will say Shutter Island is a film that you should see, but you have to be willing to give it a chance. I know I want to see it again to better understand the intricacies in Scorsese’s story-telling. So for a film that is a either an A or a C. The more I think about the film, the more I like it, but I’m still not a huge fan of some of the artistic choices taken in the film. This grade could change after a second or third viewing, but right now I’ll go with…

Grade: B or ★★★ ½ (Out of 5)


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