An old expression - "No Man is an Island" - sprang to mind at the close of the Martin Scorsese's new feature unveiled at theatres today in wide release.
Sometimes - in order to escape with sanity intact - it is necessary to be an island unto one's self.
The film - Shutter Island - is a psychological thriller in every sense.
Without holding back (too much so, in fact) Scorsese uses a bit of directorial wizardry to snatch up a captive audience - and then send them headlong into a twisted realm of perception - where reality and illusion are so intertwined it makes the psyche ache.
In a nutshell, Leonard DiCaprio plays a U.S. Marshall, assigned to investigate the disappearance of a dangerous patient at a mysterious high-security medical facility.
Shortly into the first phase of his fact-finding mission, unexpected events unfolding around him, tend to trigger memories and the onslaught of vivid frightening dreams that are difficult to wrap his own head around.
Suddenly, reality as he perceives it, goes upside-down and sideways, when a patient at the Shutter Island facility cautions him that the world he has stepped into is "nothing but a game" and - more importantly - that there is no way out (once on the island).
The tables turn, things go bump in the night, and Scorsese's cinematic offering turns into a mighty mind fu**.
To reveal anything more would be strictly taboo.
Leonardo DiCaprio returns to the big screen in a challenging role that effects a star turn for the heart-throb.
In fact, in a couple of scenes he breaks the barrier, and ends up being downright convincing in a part that would be a struggle for even the most competent actor.
In fact, around awards time next year, I expect his name will be bandied about.
Scorsese is pretty much in top form, but stoops to a bit of melodrama at times.
For instance, when the ferry boat steams across the bay to the ominous island, the soundtrack sounds somewhat reminiscent of the intense theme song from "Jaws" cranked up for maximum effect.
Yeah, folks, something bad is going to go down!
The clever director also knows where his bread is buttered, too.
For this reason, the diminuitive auteur included cheesecake footage of DiCaprio with shirt off - all buffed and sporting tats - in spite of the fact the scene was unnecessary to the plot (and basically amounted to gratuitious sexual images).
The cast of players are all excellent and well-cast in their cameo roles.
To me, the most intriguing aspect of "Shutter Island" dangled with the doubt.
One woman quipped to her friend as she was exiting the theatre:
"They were trying to help him."
This just might be one of those big-budget Hollywood-style films that took a turn somewhere.
How often does the hero end up in the kind of end scenario depicted here?
You'll figure it out.
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