Take Shelter
Director: Jeff Nichols
Writer: Jeff Nichols
Starring: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Shea Whigham
Plot: Curtis (Michael Shannon) becomes plagued by vision of a coming apocalyptic storm. He becomes obsessed with building a storm shelter in his back yard to the detriment of his family. Curtis slowly begins to unwind and questions his own sanity as the visions become more and more graphic.
Rate It:
Adam:
Scotty:
Griff:
So what did you think?
Adam – This was probably the 3rd best film I saw that was released in 2011. Following Curtis’ decent into madness and his subsequent frustrations trying to access health care for himself and his family was amazing to watch. The dream sequences were especially impressive. This is a film filled to the brim with allegory, symbolism and metaphor. You really need to look at this film with a critical eye or you’re going to miss a lot. The films conclusion will leave you wondering what you just witnessed and if you have misjudged Curtis from the start.
Scotty - Take Shelter is a quiet, anxiety producing and sometimes slow film. Well-acted and well written this film uses silence and imagery to guide you through a man’s journey through paranoia which poses the question is he crazy or a prophet?
Griff – I should say up front that I am not a huge fan of Michael Shannon. I know a lot of people really like him as an actor but for me I find that he takes me right out of the movie. I always feel like I am watching him audition for the part and I am never able to get lost in the movie. With that said, take Shelter was a good film, but not a great one. It has some great acting but but the pace of this movie bordered on tedious. It benefits from being on dvd since you will be able to stop this movie and take a break for a minute. The pacing was like having a cup of sleepy time tea. There is no denying the talent of Jeff Nichols and he does a lot with very little here but story just never grips you. It becomes difficult to care about what happens to Curtis because it’s difficult to get personally involved with this movie.
Any thoughts before you saw the movie?
Adam – So many critics had rated this movie highly ever since it showed at festivals early in the year. I was filled with anticipation to finally get a chance to view the film. I have been enjoying Michael Shannon’s performance on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and had high hopes for this film.
Scotty – I was excited to see the film, it was on my watch list since the middle of last year and it was nice to dedicate some time to it. I am a fan of Michael Shannon so I figured it would be well acted.
Griff – As I mentioned before I am not a huge Michael Shannon fan so I wasn’t really looking forward to this one.
Did you think this movie was fresh and/or innovative?
Adam – as the late Whitney Houston would not say “O hell to the yes”. It was very refreshing to view a film with multiple layers of complexity and solid acting without it becoming overly sentimental and syrupy. Writer Director Jeff Nichols is a talent that you should be keeping your eye on. He has a subtle touch behind the camera and is an exceptional writer well.
Scotty - I found the use of subtext in the film to be innovative. I have seen films about mental illness and paranoia so that was not new to me but how the film developed and a quality open ended finale made this film somewhat fresh.
Griff – I thought Nichols came up with a fairly original plot. It is an interesting study on middle america and mental illness. Along the way it tries to pray on our fear of the economy. This reminded me a bit of the Amityville Horror from back in 1979. At the time the country was also pretty bad off economically and it was an underlying theme and stressor in Amityville. Take shelter uses this theme in similar way. In Amityville the devil was threatening the the family and in Take Shelter it is a storm, but in both movies there is an uncontrollable outside force that is threatening their attempt at the american dream.
Did you think the script was well written?
Adam – An amazing script, there is so much going on with regards to the plot. You have the story of Curtis wondering if he is slipping into mental illness as manifested in his dreams. While at the same time there is a larger message about families trying to survive in a post financial meltdown, post 9/11 world. In addition, a pointed commentary about how the mentally ill and sick are treated in this country by insurance companies and medical professionals is just under the surface. Don’t get me started on how it rains crude oil as critique on our dependence upon foreign oil and the subsequent destruction of the environment this is causing.
Scotty – I thought this film was beautifully written, interactions between the characters seemed sincere and although the pace was a bit on the slow side I think its speed and development was purposefully paced that way.
Griff - The pacing of the movie will drive you to distraction. A person can only be relied on to follow a movie this slow for just so long without looking at their iPhone for some relief. There are lots of layers to this movie though, and it is filled with imagery and metaphor for those who choose to delve deep enough.
Was there a performance you really liked or really hated?
Adam – Michael Shannon gives a magnificent performance as Curtis. He really got robbed not getting an Oscar nomination for this stunning role. Jessica Chastain is the perfect foil for Shannon in this film her subtle facial expressions and changes in demeanor are huge additions to the film.
Scotty – Once again Michael Shannon was great and believable, he was in my opinion the whole show. The supporting cast was good also but this movie is all about Michael Shannon.
Griff - Jessica Chastain was a stand out for me. Great performance. Her character was the most interesting in the film.
Do you remember a song from the film?
Adam – While I do not recall one song in particular, the errie soundtrack was a perfect compliment for this film. The music was sort of reminiscent of something from a Hitchcock film.
Scotty - No
Griff - Ben Nichols – Shelter
What was your favorite line?
Adam – “Is anyone else seeing this” – Curtis
Scotty – “There’s a storm comin’!”
Griff – “Sleep well in your beds. Cause if this thing comes true, there ain’t gonna be any more.” – Curtis
What would have made this a better movie?
Adam - This is a bit nitpicky but the film had a few pacing issues that could be addressed. Similarly, it would have also been nice to see the dream sequence where Curtis is attacked by his friend Dewart. It’s alluded to by Curtis but never shown. The dream sequences were so well shot that you’re going to want to see more.
Scotty – I was pretty impressed with this film as a whole, there are no changes that I can think of.
Griff - Better pacing and different lead actor would have helped this film along. There is nothing wrong with a movie plodding along slowly but the pay off had better be worth it. Ghost Writer from 2010 comes to mind. The pacing of that film is very slow but the story is strong enough to keep you interested.
Is it worth seeing in the theater? Or could you have waited for the DVD/Stream?
Adam - Well sadly your chance to see this in a theater has passed and that’s a goddamn shame. This is exactly the sort of film that deserves a wider release and instead we get weeks and weeks of One For the Money and Abduction. This is currently available for both streaming and via Netflix and Red Box, you should check this out as soon as you get a chance.
Scotty – This film is on DVD already and it is worth a watch.
Griff – Definitely a rental so you can pause this one and walk it off for a bit, maybe splash some water on your face.
What other movies would you recommend if someone enjoyed this film?
Adam – Although a different sort of film I think if you enjoyed this movie you would like Donnie Darko. As a curveball I am going to throw out reading, yes reading, the short story The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The story’s themes of mental illness and mental health care are similar in some ways to this film.
Scotty – The first thing that comes to mind is A Beautiful Mind, starring Russell Crowe.
Griff - Similar in theme I would go with Shutter Island. My throw back pick though is Roman Polanski’s Repulsion from back in 1965. Great film.
Any final thoughts on this movie?
Adam – The ending of this film is a bit of a mind twister that will have you questioning what you just saw. While the ending will not be discussed in this review so as not to spoil the film, I suggest you check out our post regarding the films conclusion after you have seen the film.
Scotty – Take Shelter is visually stunning and certainly creates an air of paranoia. I loved the use of silence in the film and think it may be up for a second watch to truly understand the imagery it is laden with. Michael Shannon continues to impress me in his choice of roles and how he works each character he chooses to play. There is much discussion about this film and rightfully so, it leaves you with many questions to ponder and I appreciate a film that does not spell it out to me like I was a 12 year old.
Griff - I don’t think that Take Shelter was a horrendous movie, I just didn’t care for it. I could definitely see why some people would like this movie but for me it was just too slow and not very interesting. I had trouble getting any kind of emotional involvement with the lead and cared very little about whether he was crazy or if he was a prophet. It’s an interesting study of mental illness filled with lots of imagery but I just didn’t care to unravel this mystery. On a side note Michael Shannon should get that mole on his neck looked at.
Tagged as:
Jeff Nichols,
Jessica Chastain,
Michael Shannon
