Shutter Island

I just saw Shutter Island and LOVED it! I was really surprised. I went into the film not really sure whether Scorsese would be able to pull-off this type of psychological thriller, but he did an amazing job! The film is based on a novel by Dennis Lehane (author of Gone Baby Gone and Mystic River). It was adapted by Laeta Kalogridis and directed by Martin Scorsese. Every aspect of this film seemed to come together seamlessly. Everyone really did an amazing job. It is sure to get many nominations at the 2011 Academy Awards. I especially liked the art direction. I have not actually read the book, but my roommate has. She told me that watching this film was one of those truly rare and amazing experiences. Everything happened just as she pictured it in her head as she read it.

The casting in this film is absolutely amazing. I do not want to give too much away by commenting on specific characters, but I feel like there were extremely powerful performances even for the smallest of roles. I felt like Patricia Clarkson especially did a really wonderful job, but the most surprising and most phenomenal performance came from Leonardo DiCaprio. As time has gone by, he has really just gotten better and better. Something seems to happen when he and Martin Scorsese work together. Every film (Gangs of New York, the Aviator, the Departed, Shutter Island) seems to create a completely new and better performance.

I would definitely recommend this film, and I would definitely recommend to see it on the big screen if you can. It is definitely a must-see!