I was disappointed by Shutter Island.

Let's call it "The Siskel Effect" -- the movie-going phenomenon whereby you totally know the "surprise twist" to a film because you read the reviews before shelling out your $8 for the evening's entertainment. But even if you avoid The New York Times on release day, it still takes a lot to shock and surprise you.

Or, rather, it takes a lot to shock and surprise me.

And maybe I'm just making this up for the purpose of this movie review, but I'd wager the last time I saw a movie that made me utter "No fucking way" was The Departed. Actually, I think I uttered it at least twice. "No. Fucking. Way." I didn't see it coming. I was shocked, surprised... and thrilled.

I love Martin Scorsese, really I do. Goodfellas is my favorite film, and the gangster movie my favorite genre. OK, Marty (yes, I can call him Marty) isn't my favorite director. That'd be Quentin, followed closely by Terry -- that's the power of the narrative and the power of the imagination right there, lit geek that I am. But when it comes to the power of the character and the actor, Scorsese reigns.

If the character and their (moral/immoral/certain/uncertain) world is central to Scorsese's films, perhaps then, I should forgive him for Shutter Island. Indeed, DiCaprio is great (he's certainly mastered the Boston accent and the ability to cry). And if Scorsese has moved from the character-centric genre of the gangster film to the mise-en-scene focused, fear-invoking genre of the thriller, he does it well, if not a bit heavy-handedly (CUE BAD WEATHER. CUE DOOM INVOKING MUSIC. CUE MAHLER!!!). But the story -- Teddy's story -- while echoing the confusion, the unreliability, and the madness of the mental institution on Shutter Island, well, it just didn't shock or thrill me. And instead of leaving me saying "No fucking way" left me muttering "you fucking kidding me?"

And not in a gangster sorta way.