Shutter Island

Everything that Avatar could not provide me, namely a strong story, well-developed characters, and real tension, Shutter Island was able to deliver in abundance. No director has played so well with me since Fight Club, and I haven't had such a comprehensive film experience in a long time, despite watching a number of good films in the recent past. A smart screenplay, excellent camera work, carefully chosen exteriors, an outstanding cast, and impressive performances. A combination of all the elements of filmmaking. Martin Scorsese is an experienced filmmaker and this is the culmination of his long career. Individual scenes and significant twists in the film, such as the confrontation in the fortress or the final confrontation at the lighthouse, will resonate with me for a long time. Shutter Island is a meticulously crafted drama with numerous elements of classical psycho-horror. An emotional affair with a variety of interesting characters. This film is a strong contender for my biggest cinematic experience this year. I have nothing substantial to criticize about Scorsese's film. Overall impression: 100%. This is what honest classic filmmaking should be. (03/03/2010)

The key questions are: does Shutter Island offer anything more than a well-built but remarkably unbalanced genre story? Isn't the feeling of confusion that comes after watching it actually just a reflection of the inner emptiness of the story that was told? Does the shocking point not only explain, but also justify all the wonders (logical, spatiotemporal and ideological) of the previous events? I can’t say that I’m closer to the answer YES... Which is quite a sad outcome for M. Scorsese's film. Despite the absorbing atmosphere, despite DiCaprio, despite some really great moments, I'm far from appreciating the creative game, however much I am able to accept it. I shake my head helplessly over a work that is a much more effective trick than a thoughtful manipulation. Perhaps if the film stayed away from stray attempts to overlap and admitted without torture that it was ONLY a pure, and at its core a blunt genre film, I would have left the movie theatre more satisfied. (15/02/2010)

The last time I felt this much enthusiasm from perfect filmmaking in a new film was with Inglorious Basterds. From the moment they arrive on the island, it was clear that this would be an exceptional film, tailor-made for me – sometimes you just know it from the very first scene. Scorsese builds the atmosphere masterfully (shots on details, striking music, visual tricks of various crap flying around), I couldn’t find a single weak spot; Shutter Island is 130 minutes of concentrated depression, mystery and madness. Regarding the complaints of certain viewers about the lack of originality, or rather, the predictable twist, it’s worth mentioning that what they believe is a twist, it’s not so, it’s just the resolution to a classic misleading plot (in that sense, the film can only have two outcomes, and you don’t have to be a genius to “figure out” the right one) that only serves to lay down the ground for the real twist, which is very inconspicuous, original, and clever. Putting all this together, Shutter Island is for me more interesting than all of Marty’s famous gangster films. (25/02/2010)

I'm still struggling to find words the day after the screening. The meticulously crafted screenplay is still spinning in my head, the performances are in front of my eyes, and Martin Scorsese, after the average "The Aviator" and the misstep named "The Departed", is excelling so much that it takes my breath away. He plays with Hitchcock, with Kubrick, screams his love for old films to the world, and squeezes me every few minutes. At one point, I almost burst into tears out of helplessness, and a few minutes later, I am almost killed by the escalating tension. And the whole time, he has an unbelievable control over me, leading me through every corner of Shutter Island as he pleases. At this late stage of his filmography, it is the absolute pinnacle, and at the same time, a diamond that I come back to in my memories like to few others. (18/03/2010)

Shutter Island is a bit like certain Brian De Palma movies – they might not be for everyone, but if it’s your cup of tea, you will be left speechless. It begins with a ship arriving at a mysterious island, which in terms of camerawork, editing and the use of scary retro music in the style of Miklós Rózsa is an equally valuable manual to creating an absolutely immersive film opening like the landing at the beginning of Saving Private Ryan. And it ends not as much by making a point that turns the preceding plot upside down (in the world of film scripts, this idea is not all that original anyway), but with a bonus – the last scene and line of the film that pushes “that thriller with DiCaprio people go see en masse” three levels higher. Everything between the beginning and ending can be criticized for occasional cheesiness or chaotic switching between reality and hallucinations (which raises a few hard-to-answer questions) or the cold attitude to its characters. But all of this is part of the director’s cunning game, which is not about raising the audience’s goosebumps over the Ward C maniacs, nor milking their emotions over the fate of the main character. Because this director plays a different kind of game altogether. ___ After the second viewing, my hands were shaking like after smoking a pack of Dr. Cawley’s cigarettes. Shutter Island is an exceptional film from some other dimension. (15/02/2010)