A Long Time Coming

I've been seeing trailers for Martin Scorsese's latest film, Shutter Island, for more than half a year. Originally scheduled for release last October, it just kept getting pushed back again and again. The longer it took to get here, the less sure I was that I'd want to actually see it when it finally arrived. I was getting the distinct impression that with each new, re-cut trailer, I was getting closer to actually seeing everything about the movie before it was ever released. I guess this is part of why I didn't rush out to go see it last weekend, when the movie was finally released. But it also seemed like people were saying mostly good things about it, so this weekend I decided to take a chance.

It turns out that almost everything I didn't actually see already in a trailer, I could pretty much guess within the first two minutes. This movie is following an incredibly predictable path. Maybe one or two of the details along the way are surprising, but anyone who's seen a few of these kinds of movies is going to know exactly what the mystery of Shutter Island long before the answers arrive.

That said, the movie isn't without merit. It may have a mostly pedestrian, predictable script, but aside from that, the movie is very expertly made. I've never been one to worship at the altar of Scorsese, but he really displays his move making prowess here. He has a perfect sense of every detail -- framing, pacing, editing, staging, atmosphere, performance -- and how they all assemble to make a compelling whole. While you could make the case that some films are better with the artistry and craftsmanship is invisible, this isn't such a movie. It's all on display, and can really be admired. The acting is also very good. Leonardo DiCaprio carries the movie well enough, but it's the other actors -- particularly Ben Kingsley and Mark Ruffalo -- that add much needed nuance.

And while that final act is exactly what you expect it to be, I should note that the movie does have a "coda" of sorts, one final scene, that actually is... well, I don't know if the word is "surprising," exactly, but it does add a strong dramatic, emotional punch just before the credits roll.

In all, it might be a movie to catch as a rental somewhere down the line, but definitely not one to rush out to the theater for. I rate it a C+.