Thoughts on Shutter Island

This isn't quite a full-blown, fully thought out review, I just wanted to share some thoughts on Martin Scorsese's newest flick. I'm glad to see it had a good opening weekend, because I liked the movie and want to see it do well. It takes some narrative risks, and I can see the whole thing blowing up in a cloud of nonsense. I think Scorsese pulls it off, although just barely.

I'd not read the book and so all I had to go on were the trailers. When I saw them, I thought they might be giving too much away, but I can now assure you that's not the case. This movie goes places and then other places still that aren't hinted at in the promotions. That said, I think (like most movies) it would be better seen if you knew nothing about it going in. There are a few moments in the trailer from scenes late in the movie, and while you don't have the context to understand them (and they do some tricky editing to mix images from one scene with dialogue from another, sort of) I ended up waiting for them to happen on screen.

I won't hint at the movie's plot twists and turns, but I will say, this movie almost lost me. Moreover, I can see it losing a lot of people. The teenagers sitting near me certainly seemed more befuddled than thrilled by the end, and that's not a comment on their intelligence. Shutter Islands asks you to come along for a wild and strange ride, and not everyone will be willing to do so. There is a long chunk of the movie - too long by far - where I was sure it was utter crap. I felt disappointed and a little bored. Weirdly, all that stuff turns out to be to the film's advantage when all is said and done, and I'm glad I endured it for the finale. Other viewers might easily decide the pay off isn't worth the price, and I wouldn't argue with them.

I think people should see it. Let's talk about it afterwards. But Shutter Island just might be too true to itself for its own good.