Shutter Island
“I love this thing because you gave it to me, but the truth is, it is one fucking ugly tie.”
Shutter Island is the second film this week in which a white guy says the n-word. It’s an interesting scripting choice, I’d say. Besides that, it’s a brilliant psychological thriller. It carries a Lynchian aspect to it, mixing some elements of Twin Peaks with Blue Velvet and Mulholland Dr. During the dream sequences, there are continuity breaks that are pretty cool to see in action. This film is also insanely freaky at times, which I didn’t really expect for a Scorsese work. Despite me calling it Lynchian, the term that the characters in this movie choose to throw around is “Kafkaesque.” Having never read a Kafka, I don’t know what that means. But I do know what Lynchian means, so Shutter Island is that instead. There are surprise appearances by Ted Levine, who is so damn good, and Max Von Sydow, who is also so damn good. I don’t think I’ve seen a film recently that’s had me quite as on edge as this one has. I’m doing my best to write a spoiler-free review, because this movie is really fucking good. This is easily the best Scorsese film I’ve watched. 10/10