SHUTTER ISLAND

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

Opening in theatres this Friday from director Martin Scorsese and Paramount Pictures is a look into fright with “Shutter Island”.

This film tells the story of Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio), a U.S. Marshall who is sent to Shutter Island Ashcliffe Hospital in Boston. Along with his partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), they are sent to investigate the disappearance of a woman named Solando.

In the middle of nowhere on a remote island, this murderess patient is missing and no one else is talking – or are afraid to talk. In charge of the patients are Dr. Crawley (Ben Kingsley) and Dr. Naehring (Max Von Sydow) and they are of no help to the investigation.

Daniels eventually confides in his partner that there is another reason for taking this case. He is convinced that the hospital had something to do with the death of his wife and knows more about the hospital than he lets on.

As a hurricane slams into the island and cuts off all communications, something begins to affect the patients. Daniels also comes to terms with the inability to handle what is happening around him. He starts questioning memories and eventually - his own sanity.

FINAL WORD: DiCaprio has once more proved his worth. His performance here is a tad freaky and totally frightening in a great way. During moments when he loses control it is almost unbelievable. Having worked with Scorsese before in “The Departed”, it is clear why he was chosen for this film.

With Kingsley and Von Sydow I am not sure which of these two gentlemen creeped me out the most! Kingsley uses a mixture of his eyes and laugh to stay just above being insane himself. Von Sydow has that voice of someone you could easily trust – until you can’t!

Ruffalo doesn’t have a large role here and that’s a shame. I have come to enjoy his work so I am thrilled he at least chose a good role here. He is solid and plays off DiCaprio well and helps to keep the characters in balance.

Other amazing cast members are: Michelle Williams as Dolores - Daniels deceased wife, John Carroll Lynch as the tough Deputy Warden McPherson, Jackie Earle Haley as the unpredictable and scary George Noyce, Emily Mortimer as the delusional Rachel, and Ted Levine as the equally frightening hospital guard.

Many sequences were filmed in an old mental hospital in Massachusetts, which totally lends itself to the feel of the film. It is damp and gripping watching scene to scene. From the ocean to the haunted hallways there is nothing left to chance visually.

The screenplay is by Laeta Kalogridis adapted from the novel by Dennis Lehane. If that name doesn’t seem familiar, perhaps some of these films are with “Alexander” and “Pathfinder”. This film has already received a nomination from the Berlin International Film Festival for Martin Scorsese.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give “Shutter Island” three and a half tubs of popcorn out of five. The story tells itself early on and a tad slow toward the middle of the film but not enough to stop the viewer from going on this ride.

This is a very dark film, it is eerie and nothing short of what one would expect from Scorsese.

In the end…someone is missing!