DIRECTED BY: Martin-the boss-ScorseseSTARRING: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams.
REVIEW: With Scorsese's long time hiatus coming to an end with Shutter Island, I too return to writing reviews with this one film, and the reasons for this choice are but obvious. A director of unparalleled stature and prowess, Scorsese comes out with this much-awaited thriller not only amidst great anticipation, but also the surprise emanating from the sudden shift of genre by the maestro.
Teaming up for the umpteenth time with his 'muse', Dicaprio, he sets the screen scorching this time with his impeccable directorial skill and spot-on timing. I will not compare it to his previous masterworks such as Taxi Driver, Goodfellas or Raging Bull, lest its own identity as a taut psychological thriller be marred, but yes, Shutter Island is as gripping, as intriguing and as thrilling as they come.
The plot, though seemingly linear and straight-forward in the beginning, goes haywire in the later part of the film, but with a positive effect of keeping the audience glued, as ace-after-ace is dealt out by the director. Edward 'Teddy' Daniels (Leonardo) and his newly appointed partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) arrive on an isolated island dubbed as 'Shutter Island', where a shadowy facility for the 'criminally insane', headed by Dr. Cawley (Ben Knigsley), has been set up. A dangerous patient named Rachel Solando has somehow managed to escape her high-security cell, and is on the loose somewhere on the island, the reason for which the two marshals have been summoned. The story then moves forward when the marshals dig deeper into the investigation, and discover something entirely uncalled for.
If I give away or reveal any more of the storyline, I'm sure that the whole experience of the film will be spoilt, so I pertain myself from doing so. What must, however, be acknowledged here is the perpetual and prolonged aura of danger and risk that surrounds the film. With a blaring music track, picturesque landscape and awe-inspiring cinematography, Scorsese plays around with the senses of the audience like a puppeteer kidding around with his puppets. The menacing, unsettling atmosphere from the very beginning of the movie makes a chill run down one's spine, and the mood of the film kicks in entirely. Truly, Shutter Island is a movie best experienced out there in the cinemas with complete surround sound and a bag of popcorn at an arm's distance.
From the over the top music track, to the restrained (and excellent) act by DiCaprio, everything only works into making the film a top-notch thriller. Even the puzzling, conundrum-of-a-plot (reminded me of Memento, almost everything does!) works in its favor. For a first, I, rather than scrutinizing each and every plot twist and technical aspect of the film, sat back on my couch and inundated myself in the movie. This is thrilling cinema at its best, and who better that Martin Scorsese could have achieved this? Just a sleight of hand for a maestro, and here we have cinema at its enjoyable best.
My only advice, either watch it with all your mind, or watch it twice.
RATING: What less than a 4/5 would suffice? That translates to 'drop every other plan and go watch this hammer of a film' in English!
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