mOVIE & eNTERTAINMENT

Direction: Martin Scorsese

Original Story: Dennis Lehane

Screenplay: Laeta Kalogridis

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams.

Synopsis: The backdrop of Shutter Island is 1954, U.S.A. U.S Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a patient from Boston’s Shutter Island Ashecliffe Hospital. Teddy has been trying hard to get an assignment for personal reasons. But when Teddy starts the investigation he chances upon facts that suggest that the doctors in the hospital are involved in unethical, illegal and even menacing treatments. Teddy’s investigating capabilities guide him to more promising leads but the hospital refuses him to access records that Teddy suspects would bring the truth in the open. A hurricane cuts off communication from the mainland and many dangerous criminals escape in confusion. As the puzzling and improbable clues multiply, Teddy finds himself entangled in a situation where he starts doubting every other thing around him – his memory, his partner and even his mental condition.

Review: Martin Scorsese is back again with his latest muse, Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role for the fourth time in a row! And if sources are to be believed then there are two more projects in the pipeline where we will see the duo teaming up post Shutter Island. So, is DiCaprio turning out to be what Robert De Niro was to Scorsese in his early years of filmmaking? De Niro did nine films with Scorsese, we will wait to see how many DiCaprio does. But after delivering superb films like Gangs of New York, The Aviator and The Departed we get Shutter Island from the awesome twosome!

Based on the 2003 best seller by Dennis Lehane’s novel by the same name, this psychological mystery thriller is creepy, intentionally frantic and dazzling at times. Scorsese’s adaptation of the novel makes Shutter Island a brilliant and interesting puzzle and a good suspense thriller. Like the protagonists of Scorsese’s earlier films, Teddy Daniels also has his own share of baggage and the layers in his characters are slowly revealed as the film progresses. Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of Teddy Daniels is terrific. Here is an actor who is maturing with every movie! As usual, Scorsese’s execution of every character in the movie is exceptionally well. And with actors like Sir Ben Kingsley as Dr. Cawley and Mark Ruffalo as Teddy’s partner Chuck Auler, his job becomes easier. Kudos to Laeta Kalogridis for a screenplay that is gripping, edgy and tight with lot of twists, turns and thrills. Robbie Robertson used an ensemble of previously recorded music and the result is a fabulous background score that fits the somber and haunting mood throughout the film. The open ended climax in the movie is rarely seen and just because of Scorsese’s presentation, the film is transported to an entirely different league that other films of the same genre crave to achieve.

For all Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio fans here is an extremely well crafted suspense thriller. And only when we watch it, we realize that the movie is much scarier than the so called “horror flicks”!