This review is probably biased since it was filmed in my home state of Ohio, but what the hell, here goes. "Take Shelter", in my opinion, is one hell of a trip that leaves you guessing until the very end. Granted, the ending is kind of predictable considering the two-hour build-up, but it's still a great film.
Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, the story centers around (oil? natural gas? worker) Curtis LaForche, played by Michael Shannon. Curtis is plagued by apocalyptic nightmares that feature tornado-like storms and hid nearest and dearest attacking him or his small daughter Hannah (the adorable Tova Stewart). Curtis is under a tremendous deal of stress stemming from his daughter's upcoming hearing implant surgery, and is worried sick that he is becoming schizophrenic like his mother (Kathy Baker). All his wife, Samantha (Jessica Chastain), brother, Kyle (Ray McKinnon), and friend and co-worker Dewart (Shea Whigham) can do is watch as he descends into paranoia.
Curtis eventually seeks help in the form of visits to a counselor, after turning down the recommendation of a highly qualified psychiatrist from his family doctor. It's not that he necessarily fears being committed like his mother, although that is hischief fear. It's that he can't bring himself to spend money that is otherwise needed for his deaf daughter's hearing implant, and he also needs to save money for expanding his tornado shelter out back — which he takes out a loan for behind Samantha's back.
Needless to say, once people start finding out what Curtis is up to, things get progressively worse. Samantha is none too pleased about his storm shelter project, and his boss certainly isn't pleased. His friend Dewart, angry at him for reasons that seem a little murky and hypocritical given his own role in events, lashes out publicly. And Curtis' own inability to face his fears or confide in those closest to him leads to a very public meltdown.
Writer-director Nichols' storytelling is mostly tight, though there are some flaws. I was a bit confused as to why Shannon's character, despite suffering nightmares that leave him physically injured at one point, nevertheless manages to look exactly the same in every scene — no dark circles under the eyes, no pale complexion, just the same stone-faced guy. I chalk this up to the film's relatively limited budget and Michael Shannon's robotic acting. And I found it somewhat baffling that a guy whose marriage is allegedly a happy one would refuse for so long to confide in his own wife about what he's going through. But this, as the story reveals, is a byproduct of Curtis' pride; he simply cannot bring himself to tell his loved ones what he's going through — it's a macho thing, which is understandable considering the rural, working class upbringing he's had.
The story is ultimately less about Curtis' dreams and the fears he has about what they may mean for him, and more about how the crisis is weathered by this small family. I give "Take Shelter" an 'A-'.
