Shutter Island: Film Review

This is another film I've heard people complaining about with regard to pacing and length. I don't consider myself a disagreeable person but, again, I have to disagree with these complaints. Pacing: I enjoyed the slow burn thriller approach here. I thought it worked, and I wasn't bored. This is coming from a guy with an attention span that, frankly, isn't the best. Length: I thought this was fine as well. I enjoy long movies. And Scorsese isn't exactly known for wrapping his stories up in an hour and a half. I thought each new revelation came at exactly the right point in the film.

I enjoyed the story. I thought the final revelation was a tad predictable buy not in such a way that I knew exactly what was going to happen. I knew something was way off with what was going on, and I had my predictions but it really only came together for me in the final minutes...as it did for the characters.

DiCaprio was great as usual. I swear this guy could film himself pissing on my leg and I'd sit there and watch the DVD with commentary. Consistently he's shown how incredible he really is, and what he's willing to do to bring about the best performance possible. I like this guy because, not only is he immensely talented, but also he's not Hollywood. By this I mean he's not slathered all over the tabloids for making an ass out of himself. He just comes to his acting jobs as though they're any other job, and gives it all he's got. I respect that. Recently, I've gone back, and re-watched older films of his I didn't enjoy the first time around. I've realized that even when he's in a film I don't particularly care for (shocker time: The Beach...I know, I know Danny Boyle this Danny Boyle that...great director, but I still didn't enjoy the film) I still enjoy his performance immensely.

If I have one complaint, and it's a fairly big one, it's the almost complete lack of tension in this film. I just didn't feel it. Scorsese usually does a wonderful job at roping me in, and making me feel the tension I crave so much but this time around...I don't know, it just didn't happen. I dug the film noir feel of the whole thing, but without the tension, and the fear, the "cool" aspect of it all: the story, the noir, just kind of takes a backseat. There's probably little debate that this is not Scorsese's best effort, but for what it is, I did enjoy it. Frankly though, he should stick to gangster films.