Take Shelter
Director: Jeff Nichols
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham
Details: US / 120 Mins (TBC)
Shannon is a regular blue collar sort, Curtis, who has seemingly lucked out with his life thus far. While hardly rich financially, he has a beautiful, supportive wife and daughter who adore him. But when Curtis begins having disturbing dreams of an impending storm, we learn that his mother was hospitalised when she was around his age for paranoid schizophrenia. Sure that what he's experiencing is real, his visions gradually begin to affect his everyday life and that of his family.
Writer and director Nichols deserves massive credit for not only his skilful handling of the tricky core material, but also for his careful direction of the cast. Every performance is spot on; consistency is key and if anyone goes tonally in a different direction then the whole production could derail. Take Shelter takes its time, because it wants you to know Curtis, and understand what he's going through. This is a character who is essentially a good man; he takes care of his family and every decision he makes (at least initially) appears to be the right one. So when proceedings escalate you're fully on board.
Where 'Shelter' fails somewhat is the running time. You're ready for things to be wrapped about a good 15 minutes before they do, and that's a sure sign a film has outstayed its welcome. That said, it's then that the relationship between (the increasingly impressive) Chastain and Shannon gets interesting - as the truth begins to seep through. When the conclusion finally does come around, it does so smartly and effectively - it just could've happened sooner.
Two excellent lead performances and some well handled dramatic elements make Take Shelter more than worth your time.
Review by Mike Sheridan
Your Comments
FilmBuff76
A family man is plagued by vivid nightmares and strange signs in the sky of an impending super storm. Is he some sort of psychic prophet... or is his mind fracturing and slowly inheriting his mother's psychosis? That's the theory behind this slow-burning but riveting thriller that keeps you guessing right up to the last scene. Michael Shannon has always been a reliable supporting actor but thankfully he's been given a lead for a change. He fully deserves it, as he can convey both intensity and tenderness with ease. And yes, Jessica Chastain is in yet another film out this autumn but frankly we can't get enough of her right now as she's that good. Take Shelter is easily one of the year's most striking and memorable films and will no doubt get people talking. Highly recommended.
Posted 27/11/2011 22:14:20
andrewire
In Take Shelter, Curtis [played by the unforgettable Michael Shannon] is struggling with recurring apocalyptic visions that act as some sort of premonition. He's a hard-working man, married to Samantha [Jessica Chastain] and parent to Hannah [Tova Steward], who is deaf. One day he starts having vivid visions of an upcoming storm with unusual phenomena occurring simultaneously. Birds start flying erratically while tornados appear out of nowhere; a yellowish, oily rain falls down while he's outside, wondering what is really going on. Is he losing his mind or experiencing something paranormal? Is his family safe? These questions start puzzling him and the journey will be devastating. Directed with superior skill by Jeff Nichols, who also worked with Shannon in the 2007 drama Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter is Nichols' second film, who also wrote the screenplay. The movie shows the evolution of Shannon's character, Curtis, from being a prosperous construction worker to a person drowned in his own fears. His life is fairly normal: Chastain's Samantha is a loving wife, who takes care of their introverted daughter. They live in a small community, have friends and are well-respected. But Curtis' encounter with his own worries will threat the sanity of everyone involved, and it will be a testament that nothing in life is safe. The film's title comes from an underground shelter beside the family home, a place that has been forgotten by all, but rediscovered by Curtis' obsession with his family's protection from the forthcoming storm. A rather claustrophobic movie, Take Shelter is not just another drama: it also works as a horror, whose dangers stem from the mind, not the usual tricks that so often are used by most movies of the same genre. It is the realisation that something might be about to happen that creates a sense of danger; an imminent transformation as if the character were standing on the verge of a cliff. Michael Shannon's ability to portray the apprehensive nature of Curtis, combined with Jessica Chastain's powerful study of her frail yet determined character make Take Shelter a feast of splendid, awards-worthy acting. There is so much skill in this movie that other aspects of the film like the score pass inadvertently. There is no doubt Take Shelter will cement Nichols 'auteur' status after showing such a complicated yet authoritative command of the cinematic language. The film's last scene should definitely stand out as one of the year's best and most revealing, complex and beautiful endings. This movie, along with We Need To Talk About Kevin, Win Win and 50/50 show that 2011 has been a great year for independent films. Hopefully, they will get some attention when the award season kicks off.
Posted 02/12/2011 15:52:14
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