praveen seeta
Driven by exceptional performance from Michael Shannon and ably supported by Jessica Chastain....this is a psychological thriller but at its heart its a character study which is only possible because of the subtle direction of Jeff Nichols.Its a slow burner...but by every minute that goes...we are still undecided regarding the sanity of the lead character...thats what keeps us hooked until the very end....and coming to the ending...boy..what an ending it is...the conclusion is satisfying for everyone...and one can look at it in two ways..sorry no spoilers...Background score thats perfect elevates the movie further....In my opinion, any movie that leaves you speechless during the movie...and makes you start thinking about it and discuss it after the credits roll...is a movie well made...and ultimately that is what we are after " A CONNECT" with the movie...MUST WATCH...
Susan Wagner-White
I stumbled across this movie by just scrolling while on a streaming website and am I ever glad I stopped and clicked 'play'. Too often I end up spoiling movies and TV shows for myself by coming here and reading up on them, but this time I didn't. Not surprisingly I was thrilled I did it that way. From the very minute this movie started I was swept up in the building suspense. The man who played the dad was fantastic. His facial expressions were spot on. You could literally see inside his mind as the emotions worked their way through his brain. The mom was great too. I could feel her fear of her husband as his growing paranoia (or was it?) took over their lives. This is the kind of movie I would rave about to anyone who would listen, and even though I just watched it this afternoon, I want to watch it again right away. I think there are many pieces I missed. Great movie!
tcountry
I just finished watching "Take Shelter".....and I agree it was a sleeper hit of 2011. I rented it from our local library......and actually I almost didn't. I'm very glad I did. The movie deals with a hard working husband/father....who starts being effected by mental problems. For me.....this was a direct connection....cause I suffer with depression and anxiety....so when he was going through certain episodes......I was shaking my head.....yep....been there. Michael Shannon plays Curtis....and hits the nail squarely on the head...thinking he's dreaming of signs of a bad storm coming. He sets out to building a heavy duty storm shelter....which causes stress with his wife (played by Jessica Chastain) and special needs daughter whose deaf (played by Tova Stewart). I would have definitely nominated Michael Shannon for an Academy Award for his portrayal of this hurting stressed out character. I would have bet on him winning also. I won't tell anymore about this film......but it's a must see. Find it.....rent it......and watch it. Stick with it cause it's truly an AWESOME film!!!!!!!
Chauncey Baker
Browsing through the local Family Video store yesterday, this was on the rack as a two for a dollar rental special. Being a fan of Michael Shannon and Boardwalk Empire, it only makes sense that I rent this immediately. I mean, it was only fifty cents, so what did I have to lose. Anyway, on to the review.The premise is simple: a working-class family man has dreams of an oncoming apocalypse, and this leads to increasingly erratic behavior and has our hero questioning his own sanity. It's essentially a re-telling of Noah's Ark with an element of mental illness thrown in. The nightmare sequences are beautifully filmed, and made better by Shannon's intense acting style. Jessica Chastain plays the wife, a character type that almost seems to be a typecast for her these days (see A Most Violent Year or Mama for further evidence), and she does her job well. Shea Whigham and Katy Mixon are also in the film, but they are criminally underused. The rest of the cast does their jobs well.The problem with the film is that it is way too long. I'm not the type to complain about running times, but there is one scene towards the end that just drags on forever. In fact, the whole middle section of the film just drags. The acting is great, but nothing really happens in these scenes. I'm from the Midwest, and it is quite boring, but the scenery alone in the film proves that point. I don't want a completely accurate depiction of the region I grew up in. A good half-hour could have been cut out of the film, and it would have been just as satisfying. Another gripe I have is the fact that some of the special effects during the movie are extremely distracting and fake looking. I realize that the budget was limited, but come on.Overall, this film is worth seeing just for Michael Shannon's performance alone. Take Shelter is long. Too long. So long I felt tempted to fast forward one of the final scenes. I can sit through Casino without any problems, so the issue is with the pacing of the film itself. If you don't mind an inflated middle half, Take Shelter is a diamond in the rough.
AD
