‘Shutter Island’ showcases the best of Scorsese and DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese have become a notable dynamic duo in Hollywood. Their new collaborative effort, “Shutter Island,” is a testament to a great partnership that can produce some terrifying results. 

After a patient escapes a hospital for the criminally insane located just outside of Boston on Shutter Island, U.S. Marshals Teddy Daniels (Leonard DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are sent to investigate the mysterious disappearance. 

The Marshals get more than they bargained for when the creepy doctors and guards feign cooperation and appear to be hiding some dark secrets. Tensions run high as a hurricane slams the island, freeing the psychopathic “patients.” It’s up to Daniels and Aule to reveal the truth about the hospital, if they can make it off the island.

For a film that takes place in a mental institution in 1954, Scorsese spared no detail in creating the foggy world of Shutter Island. The movie was jumpy, uncomfortable at times and often terrifying. Each patient in the hospital had their own crazy back story, which usually involved brutal killings.

Crazy could be a relative term for Scorsese and DiCaprio. Leonardo has appeared in four of Scorsese’s films and has been mentally unstable in three of them. “Shutter Island” takes this to a whole new level as Daniels constantly drifts in and out of memories and even reality.

DiCaprio gave what could be his best performance yet in this movie. Scorsese seems to know how to make his actors feel like they are supposed to. Daniels had a gaze of fear and doubt in his eyes at all times, yet he exuded a peculiar confidence and always appeared as though the ace was up his sleeve.

As the dubious Dr. Cawley, Ben Kingsley continues to prove why he is one of the best actors walking the Earth. Kingsley nailed   even the most minute details of Cawley, from his scholarly accent to his insistence on calling inmates “patients.”

Everyone’s acting in this film  is worth talking about. Mark Ruffalo portrayed the shaky Chuck Aule, a cop who just wants the truth in all forms. Ruffalo’s character is certainly a good offset to the troubled Daniels. Aule is often the voice of reason throughout the movie, though he seems more like a sidekick than a partner.

This film marks Scorsese’s 45th   cinematic effort. No stranger to period pieces, Scorsese jumps into the world of 1954 head first. Despite taking place 60 years ago, everything feels very modern for a mental hospital in the ‘50s.

At 67 years old, it doesn’t appear that Scorsese has lost any of the magic that helped him create masterpieces like “Goodfellas” or “The Departed.” In fact, it would appear that just the opposite is happening as his films keep getting better. “Shutter Island” should be hailed among his classics and is worth seeing any way possible.