"You think I'm crazy? Well, listen up, there's a storm coming like nothing you've ever seen, and not a one of you is prepared for it." 
Take Shelter is a small budget movie that is written and directed by Jeff Nichols, starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain. Curtis (Shannon) is a hard working husband and father, who one night has a very unsettling dream about a terrible storm that tears his house and family apart, and when this dream continues to reappear, Curtis decides to build a storm shelter in his back garden. As his dreams continue to get more disturbing, Curtis becomes more and more convinced that an actual storm of terrible proportions is actually coming, which leads him down a path that his family, friends and colleagues find hard to write off as being completely normal. People start to think Curtis is going crazy, and as a viewer, you begin to wonder the same thing. The question of whether Curtis is mentally ill or whether his concerns are legitimate is the main plot of this movie, and if you enjoy these kinds of mysterious character driven dramas, Take Shelter is sure to keep you greatly entertained.
Now, every film enthusiast has a favourite genre of movies, be it horror, action, drama or comedy etc. Personally, I find the most enjoyment in dark dramas with deep and engaging characters, and from what I had heard about it, Take Shelter was supposed to be exactly like that. And by God. It is. Explaining how far up my alley this movie is would take hours, so I'll just settle with saying that it's pretty God damn far. It's a very atmospheric movie, meaning that you have to sit yourself down and really 'lock in' in order to get the most out of it. Watching it on a laptop with a pair of bad headphones on a train, in school or anywhere else where you might get distracted by something isn't going to work at all, you just won't get as emotionally engaged as you need to be in order to enjoy this movie as much as you should. A lot of people aren't going to like Take Shelter very much, simply because it requires so much ability to just sit down for two hours and focus on watching a movie. For true fans of cinema and great film making though, this movie is deep, enthralling, thematic and spellbindingly atmospheric; a must see.
As explained in the beginning for this review, the question of whether Curtis is sane or not is the main plot of the movie, and the way Nichols handles this element is extremely impressive. On one hand you can easily see how the things Curtis are doing to prepare for the (supposedly) impending storm are kinda ludicrous, but on the other hand, his dreams seem really realistic and horrifying, and the way Michael Shannon displays his characters inner fears and struggles are strangely convincing. At no point during the movie was I wholly convinced that either of the two solutions was right, and I flipped between leaning more to one side than the other several times throughout the entire two hours that the movie lasted. The fact that the mystery is so well preserved and carefully constructed is impressive to say the least. It's worth noting that the dreams/nightmares that Curtis is subject to are truly terrifying and well created, and the fact that the film crew managed to make Jessica Chastain more shit-in-pants inducing than hot in one of them is a true feat of greatness.
Some people who generally liked this movie sadly were turned off by how long it seemed to be at times. Admittedly, there are parts in the early second half that seemed to drag on a bit too long, but it never got to the point where I was bored or lost interest in the story. I agree that the movie could have been a good 15 minutes shorter and still be as effective is it is, but it's not a huge problem in my opinion. I'm very forgiving when it comes to this commonly criticised part of a lot of movies though, and I understand why a lot of less enthusiastic moviegoers than myself are going to loose interest in the plot because of these dragging parts. Forgivable as they are, these bits do limit the movie's re-watch ability somewhat. If you manage to stick with the story to the last act of the movie though, I promise you that you'll witness the most amazing ending to a movie you'll see in a long, long time. The last three scenes or about 20 minutes are intense in such a degree that I'm struggling to put it into words, but rest assured, the climax of Take Shelter is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
Whether you like the movie or not, one thing that every sane person has to agree upon, is the fact that Michael Shannon deserves inhumane amounts of praise for his performance in this movie. Take Shelter is the first movie of his that I've seen, and I'm already convinced that this man is an incredibly talented individual. His facial expressions are authentic and believable, ans the way he delivers his lines, filled with agony and emotion, it's simply surreal. The amount of times I was convinced that his character was completely and utterly insane, yet still lovable and caring is beyond counting, and the list goes on and on. The entire cast was good, but every single one of them, several time oscar nominated Jessica Chastain included, paled in comparison to the powerhouse performance of Michael Shannon.
When everything is said and done, Take Shelter is a deeply emotional and captivating movie, for those who are capable of appreciating quality film making for what it is. I enjoyed it immensely myself, and I definitely recommend everyone who enjoys a dark drama to give it a go. Jeff Nichols' second feature film is a masterpiece in terms of character driven storytelling and character development in itself, something I enjoy immensely. It's also an extremely underrated movie that didn't see a wide release anywhere in the world, but I truly believe that it's one of those movies that'll gain a large following over time, and will be looked back upon as one of the cult classics of our time. For that reason alone, Take Shelter is easily worth buying on BluRay. (5/6)
Take Shelter IMDb page here
Take Shelter trailer here
No comments:
Post a Comment