Review of Take Shelter (2011) by Patrick B — 15 May 2012
This is a disturbingly amazing film with all kinds of subtle undertones and overtones. The visual filmic quality is superb with stunning light drenched landscapes. Even the strange moments with birds etc.
are believable without losing a sense of terror. Surely Nichols watched his Hitchcock. While this is a character study, it defies the usual tropes that make it easy to guess the ending and the ending is stunning, that's for sure.
The purposeful ambiguity means that one can enter into this as a thriller--read literally--kind of like saying Moby Dick is an obsessive after a whale! However to stick with that would rob the film of it's depth and subtlety and it has plenty of that! The nuanced performances from the two lead actors make this infinitely interesting to watch! I won't give it away but there is no easy answer or explanation and ruminations about the metaphoric meanings resonate for quite some time after watching the movie.
One of the few films that bears multiple watching and careful analysis!
This review of Take Shelter (2011) was written by Patrick B on 15 May 2012.
Take Shelter has generally received very positive reviews.
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