Review of Take Shelter (2011) by Kenneth L — 10 Jul 2012

This is an excellent movie, and one of the more overlooked movies from last year. I tend to think that ambiguity is almost becoming a cliche in filmmaking by now - if it's ambiguous, it must be deep! - but when a movie really can pull off dark, disturbing ambiguity like this one can, it's still enormously effective. This movie is (mostly) subtle, unsettling, and incredibly well-acted.

The story follows a construction worker in Ohio (Michael Shannon) who has a pretty decent life with his wife (Jessica Chastain) and his deaf daughter, until he starts having increasingly disturbing dreams and hallucinations about an apocalyptic... something or other. He realizes he might be starting to develop symptoms of schizophrenia, but he's convinced enough of the possible reality of his visions to start building a storm shelter in the backyard. His fear and uncertainty gradually start to infect his work and his relationships.

Michael Shannon is brilliant in the lead role. It's a demanding one, especially since the movie doesn't quite want to make clear whether the main character is simply hallucinating or actually on to something. Shannon can convey intense malaise and paranoia just with his eyes. This was definitely an Oscar-nomination-worthy performance, and it's unfortunate they didn't find room for it in last year's Oscars. I find myself thinking of last year's Shame, which was similarly an indie drama centered on a male character with psychological issues. While I did think Michael Fassbender was good in Shame, I thought the movie itself was ultimately rather hollow. This movie, however, really makes good use of its main actor's performance, and is light-years better than Shame in basically every respect. Jessica Chastain was also in last year's big movies The Help (which got her an Oscar nomination) and The Tree of Life, but I thought this movie also provided a better role for her than either of those two did. The semi-climactic scene between her and Shannon near the end is just excellent.

This movie is really great at doing a lot with seemingly little effort. For instance, much of the main character's fear centers around the weather and the possibility of an apocalyptic storm. Throughout the movie, there are many wide shots where the sky will take up most of the top half of the screen. Without forcing it, the movie thus gets you to pay attention to the sky and the weather much as the main character does. The main character's dream sequences are terrifying, even though it quickly becomes obvious that they are indeed dreams. The recurring musical theme is eerie and effective. The ending of the movie is wide open to interpretation. I really think this movie is just an incredibly well-crafted experience from beginning to end. I wish I had been able to see it on the big screen.