SPOILER REVIEW. 2.

Shutter Isl:and.Directed by
Martin Scorsese
Starring:
Leonardo DiCaprio
Mark Ruffalo
Ben Kingsley




In this psychological thriller we are taken back to 1954 with detective Edward "Teddy" Daniels (DiCaprio) and partner Chuck Aule (Ruffalo) arriving at AsheCliffe hospital which specialises in the criminally insane. Straight away the concept of this thriller captivates the audience in with its good looking actors and confusing plot line that ensures suspense and mystery.
Daniels and Aule are set to investigate the disappearance of patient Rachel Solando (Mortimer) who was admitted for drowning her children. She disappeared from her cell without a trace. The mystery in the first 20 minutes is already setting the film up for a very confusing and complex plot line and emerges the enigma code for this movie. What does this hospital really do with its patients?
Dr Cawley (Kingsley) explains that the lighthouse on the island has already been searched and bans the investigators from entering Ward C. A storm soon hits and the detectives become abandoned on the island with no way back to the mainland. They stay at the hospital.
Daniels and Aule continue their investigation and Daniels is soon hit with severe migraines which bring forth visions of his wife. His wife Dolores (Williams) was killed in a fire set by arsonist Andrew Laeddis ( Koteas) who Dolores tells Daniels, is still on the island in the hospital. Later Daniels tells Aule this is the reason he took the case. Now our main character has a motive and the story becomes much more personal and intense.
Solando is soon found by hospital staff and Daniels and Aule get no explanation. This drives Daniels to attempt to break into Ward C to reveal some sort of answer. He meets patient Noyce (Haley) who confirms Daniels conspiracy theory saying that the doctors take the incurable patients to the lighthouse to be lobotomized. Noyce then tells Daniels that everyone on the island is playing a game designed especially for him .
Confused and enraged Daniels and Aule set off to investigate the lighthouse but soon get separated. In his search for Aule, Daniels encounters a women in a cave who claims to be the REAL Solando. She used to be a psychiatrists for the hospital and discovered that the doctors were working on a medication that could control the patients minds. Solando attempted to alert someone but was submitted as a patient to keep her locked up and quiet.
The mystery and confusion is set up and notch when Daniels returns to the hospital demanding to know where Aule is. Cawley tells Daniels he arrived alone and had no idea who Aule was.
Confused and emotional, Daniels goes back to the lighthouse and breaks in. Cawley is waiting for him and final reveals the information Daniels and the audience have been waiting for. Daniels is actually a patient and this was a game designed to break Daniels insanity. Daniels identity is really Laeddis and he was submitted as a patient after killing his wife after she drowned their children. Laeddis (Daniels) is making him to become Daniels and the migraines he experiences are withdrawals from his medication. Aule is a Dr Sheehan who works on Laeddis. Laeddis's memory returns and he passes out.
He awake sometime later back in the hospital with Dr Sheehan (Aule) and Dr Cawley observing him. Laeddis stills recalls all that has happened and they view this as a breakthrough and hope he has finally broke through his insanity. Dr Cawley warns that this games was his last chance and if he relapses he will be lobotomized.
Some months later, Laeddis and Sheehan are relaxing in the hospital gardens when Laeddis calls Sheehan Chuck. Realizing something isn’t right Sheehan turns to him and Laeddis turns into Daniels and explains that they must expose the conspiracy on the island. Sheehan orders him to be taken away to the lighthouse and Daniels/Laeddis asks him would you rather live as a monster or die as a good man? Leaving the audience wondering if he ever really relapsed.

Over-all I give this movie 8.5/10.