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2 Stars

The fourth collaboration between star Leonardo DiCaprio and veteran director Martin Scorsese is a major disappointment. This ranks amongst the worst film of either’s career. Any pre-release buzz suggesting possible Oscar contention is quickly dispelled, after a series of awkward scenes in the opening twenty minutes. DiCaprio plays Federal Marshall Teddy Daniels who’s investigating the disappearance of a mental patient on the mysterious Shutter’s Island. Ben Kingsley is wonderfully seductive in the role of Dr. Cawley, the head psychiatrist of the mental facility.
The acting is effective down the line, its Scorsese’s directorial choices that ultimately sink the picture. This is the first supernatural film noir horror-thriller, and right from the opening everything is played over the top. It’s schlock and comparable in tone to another Scorsese film, ‘Cape Fear’. I wasn’t a fan of that picture either. A frustrating rare misfire for all involved.

Director: Martin Scorsese
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley