Review: Shutter Island

Shutter Island

OPENING: 02/19/2010

STUDIO: Paramount Pictures

RUN TIME: 138 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
Someone is missing.

Opening Statement
The trailers have been teasing us since last Fall. Paramount delayed the release for what seems like a punishing six months. Well, it’s finally here! Shutter Island marks the fourth collaboration between director Martin Scorsese and star Leonardo DiCaprio, a teaming which has proven successful time and time again. The main question is, does their new film measure up with Gangs Of New York, The Aviator, and The Departed? Eh, not quite…

Facts Of The Case
In 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road) and his partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo, Zodiac) are called in to investigate the disappearance of a sanitarium patient on an island off the coast of Boston. Suffering from seasickness and frequent migraines, he tries his best to locate the missing female, who was convicted of drowning her children sometime after WW2. Soon enough, Teddy begins to suspect a darker force hovering over Shutter Island, particularly when his deceased wife (Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain) starts giving him warnings in his dreams.

The Evidence
Let’s get down to brass tacks. Shutter Island is a disappointment, considering the top pedigrees behind and in front of the camera. Obviously molded from the Hitchcock school of filmmaking, the film takes its cue from a novel by Dennis Lehane and then overloads it with twists and turns. Sounds like a good catch, but the film commits the most cardinal of all sins, telegraphing its ending way too early. Granted, I had no idea how Scorsese was going to flip the pancake, but I guessed right in how it was going to land. Despite exquisite production values and effective performances, they simply can’t rescue Shutter Island from being same old, same old. You’ve seen movies like this before, many of them done better.

While I haven’t read the Lehane novel, I understand considerable changes were made. Originally intended to be fronted by the director/star dream team of David Fincher & Brad Pitt, subtle echoes of Fincher’s previous films are present; one clue as to why the director may have passed on it. Regardless, the script is so chaotic and jumbled even Scorsese fails to achieve fluidity. The flashbacks are all over the place, and this aspect alone will make some viewers confused and others impatient. Then there’s the problem with length — or rather overlength — as Shutter Island runs almost 2.5 hours, neglecting tightness and precision, while embracing redundancy. It’s all the more aggravating when you consider editor Thelma Schoonmaker is one of the industry’s best, winning a total of three Oscars.

Predictability and pacing aside, there are other inherent problems. The first 30 minutes are wobbly and unconvincing, the bombastic score is over-the-top, and the procedural feels utterly routine, crucially lacking in credibility. In fact, the film opens up more like The Hardy Boys And The Secret Of Shutter Island than the hardcore, adult thriller Scorsese promises.

At the 90-minute mark, I was convinced screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis (Alexander) had resorted to an umpteenth version of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, complete with Communist witch hunt subtext; the only differences being an Alcatraz-like setting and anti-smoking messages. Shutter Island ultimately turns on its ear by masterminding a shocking explanation for what will ultimately happen to the protagonist. It’s never boring, mind you, but flirts with preposterousness way too much.

Now, I know what you’re all thinking. The film is done by one of greatest directors of all time, so there has to be some craftsmanship on display right? True, I don’t blame Scorsese for all the film’s faults; he put forth his best effort to make the picture a solid genre entry, and his familiar crew certainly did a superb job in bringing Shutter Island to life. For one thing, Dante Ferretti’s designs of the island’s creepy digs are magnificent, generating a genuine sense of claustrophobic terror. Complimenting the sets is Robert Richardson’s atmospheric cinematography, which establishs an eerie, foreboding mood from the get-go. The ’50s-style costumes by Sally Powell are well-chosen, in terms of maintaining the period realism. And Scorsese still knows how to keep his audience riveted. This is maybe the first film I’ve seen where the strike of a match actually made me jump.

Another benefit is the strong cast, who deliver the goods with committed skill. As an actor, Leonardo DiCaprio has grown on me in the past decade, contributing another memorable performance under Scorsese’s wing. While using the same Boston accent from The Departed, he fleshes out Teddy extremely well, making us root for him despite the inevitable conclusion. Ruffalo is a fine presence alongside DiCaprio, as is the great Ben Kingsley as the doctor with more than a few secrets up his sleeve. Veteran Max von Sydow is terrific, as always, even with only a handful of scenes at his disposal. Finally, all three key actresses (Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, and Patricia Clarkson) bring much to the table in their respective roles.

The biggest impression is arguably made by Jackie Earle Haley, the one-time child star who’s made a huge comeback in recent years. Prior to 2006, all he was really known for was playing the bad boy in the original The Bad News Bears. Coming out of nowhere as a pedophile on parole in Todd Field’s Little Children, Haley caught the attention of Hollywood, receiving a surprise Oscar nomination in the process. He followed that up with virtually unanimous praise as the masked marauder Rorshach in Watchmen, the long overdue adaptation of the popular graphic novel. Haley is onscreen for only one sequence in Shutter Island but, once again projects enough power to turn your blood cold. In fact, he’s so good, I’m now looking forward to his stint as Freddy Krueger in the upcoming A Nightmare On Elm Street remake.

Closing Statement
Considering the anticipation surrounding Shutter Island, I would recommend waiting for the DVD release several months down the road. The film is entertaining, and its director and cast contribute much to overcome the film’s many shortcomings, but it’s simply not enough when you take into account the director and his resume. In the end, an air of déjà vu and sloppy storytelling keep it from being a knockout.

The Verdict
6/10

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