Phoenix Pictures, Sikelia Productions, Appian Way and Paramount Pictures.

Written By: Laeta Kalogridis, adapted from the novel by Dennis Lehane

Thick fog. Ominous foreboding music. A title card tells us it’s Boston 1954. Slowly emerging through the fog comes a ferry plodding its way to a remote island. On board, two federal marshals, Edward “Teddy” Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio), himself a former WWII vet, and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo). Their task – find a missing murderess being held at the Shutter Island Correctional Facility.

From the opening moments of Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island”, the 4th collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio, we are tossed into a throwback to the classic film noir genre of the 1940′s and 1950′s where nothing is as it initially appears and the characters may not be completely forthright with their intentions. Scorsese, a well-renowned film historian and preservationist, knows this genre perhaps as well as anyone and nails the atmosphere and mood superbly from the opening moments.

Shutter Island is a dark and dreary looking place; a landmass which seems to have emerged in the middle of nowhere. The island is awash in a heavy gray hue and even the surrounding woods and plantlife seem stripped of any real color. With a loud two-chord “duh duh” music cue setting the stage, Scorsese and his team make Shutter Island no place you would ever care to visit. And soon, you learn why…

Home to three wards of patients, identified as the most dangerous of the mentally ill, Daniels and Aule are called to the island to investigate the disappearance of Rachel Solando, a patient committed at the facility after drowning her three young children. Most puzzling in her disappearance is that she has seemingly disappeared without a trace, apparently escaping from a locked cell and a small, metal-barred window. The lead psychiatrist, Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), is agreeable in assisting the investigators, but raises issue when he feels his patients’ most private information will be compromised. Kingsley plays Cawley expertly here and his battle of wills with DiCaprio makes for riveting theater.

During the investigation’s beginnings, it soon becomes apparent that all is not right with Teddy Daniels. Suffering from migraine headaches and graphic and unsettling WWII flashbacks, he is prone to nightmarish dreams and debilitating hallucinatory episodes which render his investigation, shall we say, ineffective. Rapidly, Daniels’ headaches, confusion between what’s real and not real, and his inability to gain any traction on the case begin to work against him. When Solando appears back in her cell early one morning unharmed and as if she never left, things unravel completely for Daniels. In a meeting with his partner, Daniels reveals ulterior motives as to his involvement in the case, leading Aule to realize that the marshals may be in way over their heads.

With “Shutter Island”, it’s hard not to envision Scorsese sitting right off screen with eyes wide open, beaming, carrying a smile from ear to ear. Even during the film’s quietest and darkest of visual moments, “Shutter Island” is engaging and at times captivating. We embark down long corridors and intimidating hallways, are stuck on the island during a massive hurricane and then realize its visitors cannot leave on their own accord, as ferry service to and from Shutter Island must be approved beforehand by a meeting of the Board of Directors. Scorsese has you in the palm of his hand for the first 90 minutes or so, until cracks in the narrative emerge and rather surprisingly, the film’s effectiveness wains rather quickly.

“Shutter Island” the book and “Shutter Island” the film build to and depend wholeheartedly on a major plot twist; one I was able to decipher very early on. In looking again at the trailer and researching the marketing materials, I would argue the studio may have already given it away. I’ll leave that for you to decide.

In a post-”Sixth Sense” world, film twists are more frequent and less effective than in the past. A decade removed from M. Night Shyamalan’s groundbreaking suspense film, the narrative twist has almost become its own cliche, and unfortunately, nothing the twist generates in “Shutter Island” packs much of a punch. Sure, there are some specifics which you may not pick up on and to Scorsese’s credit, he could not have known that Paramount Pictures would risk giving so much away. Most unfortunate for Scorsese and the viewer is that the power and effectiveness the final scenes reach for, scenes designed to make your jaw fall open and question everything you’ve seen prior, are all hinged on something so obvious.

Whether you enjoy the film or not will be predicated on your reaction to what “Shutter Island” has for you behind its proverbial Door #1. Scorsese does not shy away from confronting the most disturbing moments head on, especially with DiCaprio’s horrifying nightmares and the film’s unsettling child drowning subplot.

Starting strong and sliding you to the edge of your seat from the get-go, “Shutter Island” had enough of a foundation built for me that I could withstand the disappointing finale. Coupled with Scorsese’s deft hand and exuberant directing, as well as strong and memorable performances from DiCaprio and Kingsley, “Shutter Island” is hard not to appreciate. Liking it or even loving it rests on one distinctive moment and how strong your foundation will be in accepting it.

Should I See It?

DiCaprio and Scorsese. Scorsese and DiCaprio. Together again. Their comfort level with one another only reaps great rewards and both are at the top of their game here.

If you like creepy and intense, much of “Shutter Island” should satiate your interests. There are jarring moments of hard imagery and unsettling visuals which add to the overwhelming sense of desperation.

Aesthetically, the film is masterfully executed. Scorsese’s films are consistently amongst the best when it comes to editing, cinematography, and production design.

The plot deals with investigating a mother who is imprisoned for drowning her three young children. The film does not shy away from detailing this element of the story and the visuals could serve as difficult to watch.

For some viewers, the complex narrative may not be all that interesting, especially if you groan at the twist.

For certain moviegoers, Martin Scorsese films are similar to the vegetable your parents made you eat at dinner every night. Even with all the style and presentation, this could still be that vegetable for anti-Scorsese fans.

You’re fed up with movies that rely on a twist.