Shutter Island Movie Review

I was supposed to write a review about the “Daybreakers” DVD that I just watched. But then, it was movie marathon night so what’s the use of watching just one movie. It wouldn’t be called a marathon for no reason. So we (fiancé and I) watched movie after movie.

The beauty of a movie marathon is that the best movie you watched gets to stay in your mind. You just keep thinking about it until you get to share with someone what the movie was about. So here I am again with yet another review because I just couldn’t sleep without sharing it with anybody. Shutter Island is brilliant! Eventhough I was able to predict some parts. Thanks to the game Leo and I play – “what happens next”, in which he always wins except for this one. Ha!

It was year 1954 years after World War 2 has ended. The movie starts when U.S. Marshall Edward “Teddy” Daniels (played by Leo DiCaprio) sets forth to Ashecliffe Hospital in Shutter Island where the America’s most criminally insane criminals are being treated. He and his new partner Chuck Aule (played by Mark Ruffalo) investigate on the case of a missing patient named Rachel Solando.

When they start the investigation, they learn that Rachel Solando (played by Emily Mortimer) escaped the mental institution in a rather disturbing way. First, the door to her room was locked from the outside and the door was never opened the night she disappeared. There was just on small window to her room which she could not possibly fit into because it was barred. Second, it was a secluded Island for people who needed a few more “screws to tighten their brains”. Anyone and anything that goes in and out of the island is monitored by the institution so Rachel would not have possibly just ran away without anyone knowing or seeing her. If she had swum out of the Island, she could not have made it alive and her body would have washed back ashore. But she disappeared without a trace except for a note under her floorboard behind her closet. It said “What is the law of 4?” Who is number 67?” (or something like that). Eerie huh?

Oh, and have I mentioned that Rachel Solando was in Shutter Island because she drowned her three children? As if that that wasn’t enough, after she killed the kids she arranged them all by the dinner table just like they were still alive and served dinner. She is one f*cked up mother.

There are several weird things in the movie which gives in clues to what really happened but even if you think you had it figured out already, the twist will surprise you in the end.

In addition to that, U.S. Marshall Daniels always dreams of his dead wife. She gives him clues to what happened with Rachel whilst a trip down memory lane of his past. He was a soldier in World War 2 that caused him great trauma. Because of that, he became an alcoholic. After his wife died, he had to quit and get his act together. He had to know what happened to the man who killed his wife. Questions in his head led him to Shutter Island.

Well folks, that’s all I can tell you for now (Well, you can always consult good old Wikipedia). Of course I could tell you the entire movie especially the twist that will make you say “Damn! Didn’t see that one coming!” But as a party pooper (depends on how you define it), I won’t. You just have to see the movie on DVD.

Total movie time is 2 hours and 18 minutes. Rated R and I give it 7 out of 10. That’s quite high in my standards considering the movie theme is not actually “my cup of tea” but I loved watching it. Must watch with a bag of chips and ice cold beer or vodka-sprite. I know Leo and I did! 😉

Definitely much better than Day Breakers!

*www.akasha824.wordpress.com *

~ by TM on April 2, 2011.