Take Shelter

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Take Shelter

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Take Shelter

Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Tova Stewart, Shea Whigham, Kathy Baker

Curtis LaForche lives in a small Ohio town with his wife Samantha and six-year-old daughter Hannah, who is deaf. Money is tight, and navigating Hannah's healthcare and special needs education is a con... read more read more...stant struggle. Despite that, Curtis and Samantha are very much in love and their family is a happy one. Then Curtis begins having terrifying dreams about an encroaching, apocalyptic storm. He chooses to keep the disturbance to himself, channeling his anxiety into the obsessive building of a storm shelter in their backyard. But the resulting strain on his marriage and tension within the community doesn't compare to Curtis' private fear of what his dreams may truly signify. Faced with the proposition that his disturbing visions signal disaster of one kind or another, Curtis confides in Samantha, testing the power of their bond against the highest possible stakes. -- (C) Sony Classics

Id: 11144766

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Take Shelter Recent Reviews
  • blacksheepboy
    May 22, 2012
    blacksheepboy
    A gloomy and unsettling allegory centered on a modern Noah, paranoid and on the verge of a mental breakdown, played with an extraordinary intensity by Michael Shannon. A compelling drama with a careful slow pace and a glorious ending.
  • fb1038944442
    May 14, 2012
    fb1038944442
    Take Shelter is an indie gem, a low key, subtle yet constantly surprising film that works on every level. The young and talented Jeff Nichols shows a very original sensibility here (combining kitchen sink realism with a side of supernatural terror). The flick is anchored by the... read more impressive acting chops of Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain (both are everywhere all of a sudden) who are more than up to the challenge.

    It's the story of Curtis, a troubled, but fundamentally decent Ohio working man with a supportive wife Samantha, and lovely, hearing impaired daughter. He's on the verge of a mental collapse - he may have inherited paranoid schizophrenia from his mother (Kathy Baker). Curtis is haunted by dreams and premonitions of an apocalyptic storm. He starts to built an elaborate storm shelter on his property, behind the backs of his wife and friends, and takes out an ill advised bank loan to pay for it. Interestingly, Curtis doesn't share any of his visions (or his project) with his wife and coworkers, yet we know exactly what he's thinking at all times, and the great Shannon does it with subtext and a look. (And Nichols does it with very restrained but effective special effects, showing Curtis' imaginings).

    Without histrionics, Take Shelter portrays, in totally believable and non-schmaltzy way, a couple in love and the toll that mental illness takes on a relationship. We care about both of them, and the film is empathetic to each side of the equation. Would we stay with a partner who's showing a total, scary breakdown? Chastain shows how, in a very human, not quite saint like way. The story is much like a Kitchen sink, down to earth version of The Shining, without the grotesque horror or gallows humor. It's to the credit of the film that up to the end, we wonder if there is actually an apocalypse coming. The final moment when the family comes out of the storm shelter is intensely dramatic and suspenseful.

    Though Take Shelter requires some intense concentration, it will be rewarded. This film is well deserving of its accolades and I'm excited to see what Michael Shannon and Jeff Nichols (and Jessica Chastian) do next.
  • fb1672039553
    April 27, 2012
    fb1672039553
    Brilliant, revealing a metaphorical and personal case of a good man and wife struggling with his blurry and paranoid perception of reality. What happens when we no longer have something to fear - when life is good? Since bodies in our sterile part of the world no longer have para... read moresites to attack, they defend against harmless pollens. We Americans, with all the power and military might, are not comfortable unless we are dropping bombs on someone in the world, even if it's a figment of our imagination (see Iraqi WMDs and Hussein/Al Qaeda link). When Barack Obama became President-elect, guns and ammunition sales shot through the roof in America. Fear runs rampant alongside our imaginations, and we have a lot of leisure time. Without giving the ending shot away, I'll just say that the most notable point the movie makes about our fear is that it is contagious, passed down in some degree to everyone we share it with.
  • LWOODS04
    April 11, 2012
    LWOODS04
    Cast: Michael Shannon, Katy Mixon, Jessica Chastain, Shea Whigham, Kathy Baker, Ray McKinnon, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Robert Longstreet, Guy Van Swearingen, Tova Stewart, Natasha Randall, Scott Knisley, Ron Kennard

    Director: Jeff Nichols

    Summary: Michael Shannon stars in this thril... read moreler as a small-town family man who, determined to protect his wife and deaf daughter from impending disaster, builds an impenetrable storm shelter in the safety of his own backyard.

    Summary: "A dark haunting story. It ended right where I was wanting to see more. Michael Shannon is one of those acotor's that can play any role, I love watching him on screen. The movie is creepy and suspenseful. It's a slow burning story, and it's a good burn. I liked the anticipation of the ending. To finding out if he's really losing his shit or foreseeing the future. Great film."
  • jamers2011
    March 31, 2012
    jamers2011
    One of the best films of the year...
  • superclerk25
    March 19, 2012
    superclerk25
    It's a combination of amazing acting and a creative way of tackling the subject that I haven't seen done before. I genuinely cared for these characters as we were able to dig deeper into their lives and the pain they are going through as well as have a ton of story thrown our way... read more as well.
    Michael Shannon was amazing as a man who knows that he may be going crazy but has no power to stop it from happening. I can't wait to see more from this guy.
    The end of the flick was great and exactly what I wanted.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    March 10, 2012
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "Sleep well in your beds. 'Cause if this thing comes true, there ain't gonna be any more."

    Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself.

    ... read morentury Schoolbook">REVIEW
    Take Shelter is just an all around incredibly unique, beautiful and haunting film. Essentially it is a drama but there is so many layers to this film. It is beautifully shot, some really stunning cinematography, it tells a story that has a post apocalyptic undertone but does so without flashy special effects or a big budget. Honestly Take Shelter must be seen to be believed. In many ways it is slow paced, a character study of a family moving towards crisis but the performances are so riveting and the concept of the film so fascinating that you literally can't take your eyes off of it.

    Michael Shannon is absolutely brilliant. His performance is one of the best I have seen in months, at least. You watch his entire life break down and you will feel so much empathy for him as he moves towards a complete mental breakdown but you will also hope and wonder for him whether what he is experiencing is real. Jessica Chastain is also excellent as his devoted but concerned wife. Her character too goes through a lot in the course of the film and her and Shannon have really great chemistry. There is something very real about their marriage, not a timeless romance, but just very real and this circumstance threatens to tear them apart. Tova Stewart has a small but extremely important role and does very good as their deaf daughter who often seems disconnected from her peers. This is a powerful drama by sheer definition and a performance not to be missed by Shannon.
  • gokhale1
    March 9, 2012
    gokhale1
    "Take Shelter" is a heart-rending story of Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon), who resides with his wife Samantha (Jessica Chastain) and his little daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart) who happens to be deaf. It all begins when Curtis has visions of a storm coming...in the form of dark ... read moreclouds, whirlwinds, thunderous noises, and a strange looking rain, the water from which resembles motor oil! Some of these visions are extreme and apocalyptic, laden with immense paranoia. He sees himself and his family being stalked and attacked by faceless people....and that is when he realizes that something is amiss with his head. He has these nightmares almost every night, yet withholds them from his family, for he is concerned about them; doesn't want them to feel insecure in the company of a mentally ill man of the house! More so, because apparently there has been a history of paranoid schizophrenia in the family; his mother had it too......! He just goes on with life, looks up books about mental illnesses and starts meeting a counselor at the free clinic.

    But are these visions actually premonitions of a deadly storm to come (he describes them as "a feeling", not "just dreams")? Or are they merely hallucinations? Regardless, Curtis takes up the task of protecting his family...by building a fully equipped storm shelter underground.....

    [img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9GtXEulzVkg/T0z7fhMtSLI/AAAAAAAACNM/tR7gSJ9YF0g/s617/vlcsnap-2012-02-27-19h37m27s200.jpg[/img]

    "Take Shelter" reminded me of Andrei Tarkovsky's final masterpiece, "The Sacrifice" which also features the central character living in an isolated house with his wife, daughter and a son (who is mute!), and decides to carry out an ultimate sacrifice to save his family from the impending apocalypse by a nuclear holocaust. Only the similarities end right there and this film is in no way a rip-off.

    [img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TG2DU6iebHQ/T0z7e6AEJUI/AAAAAAAACM8/y9Mk_lE0rkw/s572/vlcsnap-2012-02-27-19h18m58s116.jpg[/img]

    "Take Shelter", on the outside, may appear like yet another psychological drama about a man suffering from Schizophrenia with all the essential clichés that usually infest such films. Writer-director Jeff Nichols proves this assumption wrong, however, and takes a whole new approach in which the protagonist senses early on that he has a problem and tries his level best to seem normal, so as to not affect his family that he loves so much and ensures that they don't feel unprotected. The idea of delusions of doom clubbed with this fresh new twist work wonders for a tired premise of a schizophrenic protagonist and thus render "Take Shelter" one of the best films dealing with the subject. Nichols handles the story with finesse and takes utmost care to not let it slip into the triteness of melodrama. There is drama alright, but nothing that would seem overdone. Every little bit is realistically done; every scene is carefully thought out, every little character reaction is meticulously written, except for maybe a single scene. The film successfully strikes the right chord with the audiences and lets us be at one with the proceedings with some of the most real characters ever written.

    [img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_ea8iwDSHQU/T0z7f12HL9I/AAAAAAAACM0/qTQYwtQrO-U/s553/vlcsnap-2012-02-27-19h39m18s29.jpg[/img]

    Some of Curtis' visions are frightening and Nichols sure knows how to the scare the hell out his audiences! This film could serve to be a perfect blend of the 'psychological thriller' and 'drama' genres and has plenty of moments to please film lovers of both categories. On the technical front, the film excels in most departments, particularly cinematography, sound design and even special visual effects. Just behold those excellent scenes of the storm that could give any big budget disaster movie a run for their money. Or that chilling moment when Curtis and Hannah find themselves in the midst of some birds gone berserk in a frighteningly surreal sequence!

    [img]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-DioNQO2A_30/T0z7eLWdmfI/AAAAAAAACNQ/oITatUcvXQU/s569/vlcsnap-2012-02-27-19h18m01s55.jpg[/img]

    The acting is marvelous all along...Jessica Chastain is brilliant as the caring wife distressed upon not knowing what exactly is going through her husband's head, yet trying to manage the family and making some modest money by selling in a local flea market. The little daughter Hannah is superb as the deaf daughter. Even though she has precious little to do, she has a presence that is endearing! Robert Longstreet and Shea Whigham make an impression in their small acting parts in the roles of Jim and Dewart respectively. Which brings us to the lead performer, Michael Shannon. Now, his performance is definitely solid. Shannon practically lives the character and makes it his own. The realization, the helplessness, the anxiety, the sadness...all pulled off masterfully. Only I didn't see anything significantly different from what I saw in "Revolutionary Road" in which he played a similar character. Only Curtis of "Take Shelter" is a little more compassionate than John Givings of "Revolutionary Road", but essentially he seemed like the extension of the same person! Now this leads Shannon into an even greater danger of being type-casted, because even if he attempts something different, we are bound to see a mentally unstable character, and that's not a good thing. One can just hope Shannon is more careful while choosing his next big role if he wants to show if he is versatile enough.

    [img]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-659WaMr5ZR8/T0z7eXWgMhI/AAAAAAAACNI/wIQWk003up8/s672/vlcsnap-2012-02-27-19h11m35s42.jpg[/img]

    Jeff Nichols has crafted a real fine film. This is only his second venture and he has already mastered the art. Some may complain that the film slows down at intervals, but it is the kind of screenplay that is best savored at a steady pace rather than in a hurried manner. In spite of the slow place, the film is engaging enough and never lets up, thanks to the fine acting and plenty of great moments to fill the running time of 120 minutes.

    This is yet another example of a great film that was sadly overlooked by the Academy. I can just hope that this review and many others reach out to film lovers all around and they take notice of "Take Shelter".


    Score: 9/10.
  • itsjustme2004
    March 5, 2012
    itsjustme2004
    Oh boy...there's an ending that I won't easily forget. Good, well written, well acted, emotionally moving film. I have always thought that this guy (Michael Shannon) had something unique about him. I think that he greatly shows his talents in this movie. Well done..
  • JonathanHutchings
    March 4, 2012
    JonathanHutchings
    Take Shelter is a good film that could have been great. A lot has been made about the film's treatment of mental illness, and while I applaud writer/director Jeff Nichols for writing a screenplay that shines a balanced, empathetic light on the subject, I really don't think this f... read moreilm is about that. For me, this film is an allegory about the turbulent, societal unease that bedevils contemporary American life. Early on in the film, a friend of Curtis' (Michael Shannon) remarks that he has a good life. "I think that's the best compliment you can give a man: take a look at his life and say, 'That's good.'" With an unstable economy, financial institutions in ruins, and various economic and environmental disasters looming, how quickly can that be taken away? What if everything that Curtis values suddenly vanished? We are not talking about a life of luxury and ease, but about modest comforts and reasonable expectations: a decent job with health benefits and vacation time, a loving family, a house of your own. Curtis has all of this. He works in heavy construction and comes home to the tidy home he shares with his wife, Samantha (Jessica Chastain), and their daughter, Hannah (Tova Stewart), who is deaf. Curtis' friend's homespun truism might be that the greatest fear a man can experience is losing the good life he has. It is this anxiety, which afflicts Curtis in especially virulent form, that defines the mood of Take Shelter.

    The first 20 - 30 minutes is tightly directed and punctuated by some good nightmare/hallucinatory scenes. Then, for some reason, they disappear for almost the remainder of the film. The pace slows down, and the tone becomes more observational and less impressionistic, at least until the final act. That inevitably makes the middle of the film drag, no matter how good it may be in and of itself. And tone, in general, is my biggest point of contention here. Nichols and company can't seem to figure out whether they want to be a typical "he is or isn't he crazy?" psychological drama, or something more (seems to me that the film is trying to be both). The big question is: are Curtis' dreams real or premonitions? If this were Inception or an M. Night Shyamalan brainteaser, it might turn this question into a cinematic puzzle. But while Nichols employs a handful of tried-and-true (and therefore always persuasive) shock effects to blur the viewer's sense of reality, there is something at stake beyond formal cleverness, and he often abandons that. The ambiguity that is so unbearable to Curtis - the sense that he might be losing his mind and also receiving omens of impending disaster - is crucial to the film's logic, yes, but by reveling in it, it's easy to take your eye off the prize with respect to thematic concerns.

    Paranoia and uncertainty permeate our culture (Fox News makes hundreds of millions annually exploiting it). In my opinion, this is the core of what Take Shelter is about. This is a film that should be looked at more figuratively than literally, but by implementing a literal dream vs. reality plot, that's asking a lot from the viewer. What you're left with is (dare I say) a schizophrenic film that hits a lot of notes, but not all of them.
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