Review of Shelter (2008) by Paulk. — 21 May 2008

This is more like a 6.5, but because I was completely taken with Shaun, Brad Rowe's character (even though the premise of his relationship with Zach is fairly implausible) I'm giving this a green number.

I had never heard of Brad Rowe before, but his performance was so strong and believable, I made a specific point to look him up on IMDB. The basic story is good(lower class surfer/artist falls for slightly older upper class surfer), but the story line falls in and out of "gay/coming out" cliches too easily and should have gone through a few more revisions.

What was the point of Zach having a father? The story would have been more believable, especially with the situation with his sister at the end, if both his parents were MIA. Trevor Wright (Zach) does a good job with what he's given, but at times the dialogue, plot situations and the acting should have been more solid(especially from the supporting cast).

Still, with all it's flaws I did enjoy Shelter. The ending (while wrapped up like a present) does touch upon the idea of two gay men being able to take care of a child; which gives Shelter some unexpected relevancy.