Review of Take Shelter (2011) by Jollyg87 — 15 Dec 2011

I saw this last night, but upon my return I couldn't put into words what I thought of the film. Now I think I can. This film is a wonderful character study. You have this man named Curtis who has these vivid nightmares that suggest the world is going to end.

He eventually becomes convinced that the nightmares are a prophecy for things to come. He takes drastic action to protect his family, so drastic that it threatens to rip his life apart. His wife thinks he's going crazy, even he thinks he might be going crazy.

But he still continues on because he truly believes in what he's doing. I found this conflict fascinating, and the question that writer/director Jeff Nichols leaves us with is equally compelling. Is Curtis a paranoid schizophrenic or is he a prophet? The ending doesn't give you the answers you're looking for.

This isn't the kind of film that's wrapped up in a nice tiny ribbon. It forces you to think. The performances are also terrific here. Michael Shannon really allows us to see the conflict brewing in Curtis.

We can connect with his doubts as he makes decisions a sane person probably wouldn't make. Overall, this movie isn't for everybody. It's definitely an independent film in the sense that the pace is slow and the movie ends ambiguously, but for those of you looking for a film that will stick with you for days, be sure to check this one out.