Take Shelter - A Slow, Compelling Burn

If you’re having horrifying dreams that an impending doom is on the way, would you think they are visions, or would you think you’re going crazy?

This is the main question in the new film, Take Shelter. This is a slow film and the only action is the nightmares that plague Curtis (Michael Shannon).

Be prepared to sit back and spend you’re time getting into the head of your main character. As the film opens, Curtis is a hard working family man. He has a deaf daughter and we see touching scenes of him signing with her. He has friends and a good relationship with his wife. As the dreams increase, Curtis is torn as to how to react to them. They don’t really feel like dreams at all, but more like visions.

Of course, maybe he’s just losing his mind. This is the easier solution as opposed to the catastrophic disaster that only he is privy too.

We fall Curtis as he makes the decisions he feel he must to protect his family. One by one, we see the deep emotional impact these decisions has and how they slowly alienate Curtis from everyone he cares about.

I really don’t want to give away much of plot here because I think it’s important that you immerse yourself into Curtis’ mindset. Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain give fine performance and all the characters are easily relatable. You can easily see yourself knowing these people. No one is over the top and Curtis’ actions are believable. It’s not like he starts building an ark.

I found the ending very satisfying and the images and dreams stayed with me long after the credits stopped rolling. I also recommend this one for the theater. The sound of the storm was incredible and it kept creeping up on me. Several times I turned around because I could hear it behind me. I would not be surprised if this received and Academy Award Nomination for Sound or Sound Editing.