Shutter Island, an early contender for film of the year? You bet your ass.

It may still be early in the year, but Shutter Island is my early contender for film of the year. Everything about it was fantastic. The acting, the visuals, the brooding music and visuals…it’s hard to find a flaw in this film.

The acting in this movie was just amazing. Leonardo Dicaprio continues to show he’s more than just a pretty boy on top of the world…no pun intended, I love that movie. He plays Federal Marshal Teddy Daniels who is constantly having nightmares about his troubled past. He’s accompanied by Chuck Aule, a “newbie” to the marshals, played brilliantly by Mark Ruffalo. You can tell he cares greatly about Teddie’s well being while dealing with his own problems. The Dr./headmaster of the island, Dr. Cawley, is played by Ben Kingsley who’s always at the top of his game when he’s in the role of creepy/foreboding people. As good as they were though, I really have to give the best acting “award” to Jackie Earle Haley, who some might know better as Rorscharch, as the prisoner George Noyce. I won’t talk any further, because it would be an injustice to spoil this performance.

The visuals were top notch. I loved that they didn’t do overdo it with the blood and gore, yet still used it graphically to depict certain events. Whenever Teddy and Chuck were inside the actual asylum, you always had this sense of dread which was aided by an amazing music score. There hardly was any, and you never knew what to expect around each corner. Throughout the movie, Teddy has dreams of his past, and this is where the movie really shines. These dreams WILL stick with you.

The thing I love most about this movie was that it wasn’t “scary” when you watched it, but it leaves you with a chill in your spine. This is one movie that will stick with you due, in no small part, to its atmosphere and superior directing of Martin Scorsese.

There’s nothing left I can say without spoiling the movie, so go see it. You will not be disappointed.