Shutter Island (2010)

If asked what is the film with the most intriguing plot for you, what would you say? Some consider such movies as Inception, The House of Yes, Inglorious Basterds and not only do have lots of unexpected twists to suck you into the story from the open credits and keep on the edge till the very end. Whatever your films are, Shutter Island should be added to that catalogue. This is an unusual movie with a very complex story that demands total concentration in order not to miss a tiny detail. But don't worry, you will be fully absorbed and firmly hooked and will be able to relax only after the ending, which is by far rather unexpected. So some words about the movie itself.

Edward "Teddy" Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a U.S. marshal who gets an intriguing case. One of the patients from the criminal insane clinic Rachel Solando disappeared from a locked room. This riddle is right for Teddy. He is determined to investigate this case and there is a partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) to help him. But before they go to that dark, gloomy hospital on an isolated island they are discussing their assignment as if intentionally used at the beginning of the movie to involve the viewer into the story. What you get to know about the hero from the manner he smokes is that he had hard, painful past concealed deep inside him.

The hospital is cloaked with mystery. Everyone from the guard to the director seem suspect and not at all cooperative. The staff is hiding something, thereby making Teddy more nervous and viewers even deeply engrossed. The information our hero manages to dig resembles parts of the puzzle he is trying to put together. On top of that, he sees the ghost of a disappeared woman, or was that not a ghost but a dream? Yes, these are also strange dreams haunting Edward that complicate the story further. The mixture of all this makes you puzzled and the only thing you want so badly is to find the answer. However, only the last few minutes of the movie will put the things right but in a way you won't even expect!

The film is made in a noirish thriller style with lots of suspense and horror moments. But even with enough stressing episodes the movie is not spooky. This is probably due to such a great collection of actors that have made the film so appealing: Michelle Williams, Ben Kingsley, Ted Levine, Max von Sydow, Emily Mortimer makes a good team for DiCaprio and Ruffalo. DiCaprio is so vulnerable and terrified, haunted by visions and obsessed by the desire to solve the case that all those complex emotions are vividly seen from the screen.

Shutter Island is a not a sort of movie with enormous action scenes giving you much laugh moments. Neither it promises a musically induced melancholy. What you will find there are only questions and you instinctively feels, as well as our hero, that the answers are in that enigmatic lighthouse where Edward is desperately trying to get.

If you were lucky to read the book before watching this adaptation, then you will be pleased to find the same atmosphere and dialogues, twists and puzzles that are coming alive on the screen. The director made a good job trying as much close to stick to the book as it was possible to deliver the intrigue soaked by mystery and wafted by the island itself.

Among other Martin Scorsese movies, with the most known and critically acclaimed The Aviator, The Departed, Goodfellas and Taxi Driver, Shutter Island remains his highest grossing film that was still in top in its second weekend after the release and grossed about $295 million worldwide. Add to that incredibly high IMDb's rating and many positive reviews to make you sure that this movie is worth a watch.