'Finally a spanking new thriller' you might first think when you see the trailer for Shutter Island. But it’s a thriller that's so much more then a refreshing breather from the gore, sadistic horror films we are now so tiresomely showered with (Don't get me started on the human centipede). The genre is all new, yet very much copied - it’s a thriller, a film noir, a gothic b-movie detective story, a psychological mind fuck and gosh there’s even Nazi’s in it! To add more thrill prior to watching the film you find Scorsese is the director with another collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio taking lead. Exciting isn’t it folks!
Yes its Martin Scorsese’s newest film, a thriller about detective Teddy Daniels, (DiCaprio) who comes to an Island (I’ll let you guess the Island’s name) which happens to be a asylum/prison filled with dangerous mental patients. He’s there to investigate one of the most notorious patients, Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer) who’s missing, from her locked cell, leaving behind her shoes and a coded message. As more clues come to light, Teddy becomes more tangled in what the hell is going on, and with distrustful (and unhelpful) doctors, hazardous storms brewing and madmen missing this film proves it is more then just spooky thriller.
Yet it’s not Scorsese best. And of course it’s not. It’s flawed at times with incoherence of the plot, the way it just doesn’t quite fit even after a second viewing, and we probably should care more emotionally for the lead but we are too busy fixed with the visual setting and events happening, instead of Teddy’s turmoil and angst. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a great movie, because it is. It’s like saying I don’t like the roast dinner in front of me because there’s no Yorkshire puddings. Yes it’s been criticised for being too long, but I was too gripped by the sheer tension and curiosity from the moment they arrive on the island to notice the over 2 hour running time. Yes it’s missing something that would have made it another appetisingly winning Scorsese film, but it’s absolutely worth watching anyway (preferably after you’ve finished your dinner if, like me, you have a delicate stomach for horror) because everything else about it is so very right.
The horror remains chilling rather than gory, more ‘Shining’ than ‘Saw’, but what makes the sicklier scenes stand out is that the gruesome shots are in fact quite beautiful. Truly, they each frame is a work of art, indeed cinematography fans will be incredibly pleased at the film noir influenced trippy staging and lighting of the scenes. Even the Nazi killing in the memory recalls are dramatically picturesque, despite my stomach churning. The film, I noted, wavers on the theatrical cliff at times, where perhaps the music or event doesn’t quite feel as emotional as the film compels it to be – but I imply it only tilts slightly, producing the quality b-movie it’s after, rather than falling towards a cheesier melodramatic experience that could easily have been created be more amateur directors.
And so the game is afoot! Or so you’d expect as the obvious suspected villains (evidently by there unmistakable Queen’s English accents of course!) Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) and German assistant Dr Naehring (Von Sydow) become more and more frustratingly suspicious and the film trips and turns, causing you to ask ‘did you just see that or am I the one that’s going mad?’ But the game never really gets going, in the Agatha Christie/Sherlock Holmes traditional way that is. Thriller fans will spot the twist quickly before the long running time has had chance to proceed a quarter of the way in, whilst unfamiliar audiences to this genre will guess the possible ending before the inevitable reveal. But that’s just is, the reveal isn’t a ‘aaaah! It all makes sense now, of course!’ Jonathon Creek style conclusion. Without revealing any spoilers I have great difficulty explaining the brilliance of the ending. All I can say is if you are hoping for an unexpected twist shocker, then you’ll be thoroughly disappointed, but if you crave for a more interesting ending then the film becomes elementary more enjoyable. Does that make sense? Probably not, I’m starting to wonder if I’m crazy…
Shutter Island is much like a jigsaw puzzle, where you have a pretty good idea how the picture will turn out, but it’s the fascinating way pieces connect together that allows you to enjoy the bigger picture once it’s completed.
4/5 – Whether you enjoy it or not it’s a definite brilliant cinematic watch, and a must buy on DVD to rewind those ‘did you just see what I saw?’ moments.
P.S Watch out for the glass of water…
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