U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is sent to investigate the escape of a patient from Boston's Shutter Island, Ashecliffe Hospital; a mental asylum. The Scorsese film is a mysterious psychological thriller with DiCaprio as the no-nonsense protagonist. We are on this emotional journey with Teddy Daniels as his own demons start to sneak out of the closet.

The film is set in the early 1950's which makes for an interesting setting in itself. You're immediately taken back to Bethlem Royal Hospital, or Bedlam, which was notorious for the ill treatment of its mental patients. Electro shock therapy, lobotomies and the like were part of treatment of patients during the earlier part of the century. The possibility of this brutality is what is making Daniels push himself to the edge of his limits. An air of mystery hangs around the island and Daniels wants to put a stop to what he expects is happening.

Ben Kingsley stars as Dr. Cawley and slips into any role with ease thus justifying the fact that the acting and direction are, as expected, excellent. Even Marc Ruffalo is playing a character which finally suits him; he is not the charming rom-com hero that Hollywood wanted him to be for Just Like Heaven or 13 Going On 30. Max von Sydow is haunting and mysterious as Dr. Naehring, adding a character who remains shady even though it's a small part he is at the back of your mind throughout the film.

The cinematography is a delight and the scenes flow together seamlessly. There are some amazing dream sequences which are realized with perfection by Scorsese. The haunting tension that surrounds Ashecliffe Hospital is sterile with a sense of mystery and morbidity which suits the theme of the film. Yet the thrill is not as explosive as one would expect from such greats on and behind the screen. The running time of the movie at 2 hours is justified since the whole movie is a build up to the ending, which you find yourself waiting for.

Shutter Island is based on the book of the same name by author Dennis Lehane. Lehane wrote Mystic River which was also adapted for the screen by Clint Eastwood and won Oscars for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn and Tim Robbins, respectively.

Dicaprio is the new muse for Scorsese that Robert De Niro once was and these collaborations have proven very fruitful. The Hollywood marriage of DiCaprio and Scorsese has given movie-goers instant classics like The Departed, The Aviator and Gangs of New York; unfortunately Shutter Island is not one of them. You really want Shutter Island to be as epic as his previous film and watching this movie one expects to be engulfed and blown away and still talk about this movie to everyone the next day, since this is what happens with Scorsese and DiCaprio collaborations.

The genre 'psychological thriller' is another word for twist ending and this Shutter Island delivers. As diverse a director as Scorsese is, this movie is not his best work. Websites and fan followings are devoted to the subtlest of nuances from movies or one dialogue from the script. Script writers seem to be underestimating the intelligence of their audiences and tricks of the trade are no longer trade secrets.

-- Kiran Haroon

*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME