I hate starting a review by talking about a performance by one of the actors. I don't know why. Perhaps it's because focusing on the performance right out of the gate can imply that the rest of the film -- the story, the characters, the technical aspects -- is only so-so. But, I'm fairly certain that I'm the only one who feels that way, so here I go...
In Take Shelter, Michael Shannon gives what is the best performance I saw in any 2011 film. He is spellbinding. Every move he makes and every line he utters pulls the audience in, conveying both the outer stoicism and the growing fear that's ever present underneath.
That's really the point of this movie -- the growing unease, that indescribable tension that so many of us feel, the unspoken belief that the world could come crashing down around us at any minute. Shannon, in addition to creating a believable, wholly sympathetic character, embodies this feeling down to the last line and mannerism. It is probably this year's biggest Oscar travesty that he was not nominated for Best Actor.
In the movie, Michael Shannon plays Curtis LaForche, a loving family man, adored by his wife (played by Jessica Chastain in like the 9000th movie she's been in over the past year) and a daughter who's hearing impaired. He's a hard-working construction foreman, working on a crew with his best friend. He's not wealthy, but he has everything he could ask for. Early on when we learn that his job's insurance will pay for his daughter's cochlear implants, thus eliminating the one source of sadness in his life.
But, from the first scene, we learn that Curtis is having apocalyptic dreams. He sees massive storm clouds coming in the distance. He sees lightning, hears thunder. And, as it begins to rain, he notices on his hands that the rain is black like motor oil. Shortly thereafter, his dreams begin to get worse. In one dream, his dog attacks him. In another, the storm destroys his house. And, even when Curtis is awake, he sees a massive flock of birds flying in a mysterious and frightening pattern, he hears loud cracks of thunder when the skies overhead are clear.
These visions, dreams, hallucinations -- whatever they are -- will begin to overtake his life. But, he is, at the same time, skeptical that the dreams have any meaning beyond himself. Knowing something that the audience doesn't, at least at first, he checks out books on mental illness at the library. He makes the deliberate choice to treat his problems as a symptom, nothing more.
But, he also can't shake the dread he feels after each of these dreams. Surprising his wife and family, he builds a pen in the back yard so he can keep his dog outside and he starts spending more and more time in their storm shelter (the movie takes place in Ohio, in the middle of tornado country).
It is at this point that we also learn that his mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia when she was about his age. Curtis seeks out counseling and psychiatric care, and pays a visit to his mother in an assisted living center. It is clear to him that, more than likely, he's beginning to go through the same thing.
Yet, while he can intellectualize the cause of his problems, Curtis becomes more and more fixated with the need to prepare for the coming storm. In an expensive effort to expand his tornado shelter, he puts his family's finances and his daughter's operation at risk.
All of this leads to a few climactic scenes where Curtis is forced to choose -- his fixations or his family and the life they have. It all ends with what some have called a surprise twist. But, while I don't want to give anything away, I want to say that I didn't take the twist at the end to be literal. It thought it was more symbolic, a demonstration of the movie's themes. You may see it differently if end up seeing this movie.
In addition to Shannon's incredible performance, there is just some masterful filmmaking at play here. The apocalyptic imagery in Curtis's visions is haunting. The deliberate pacing of the movie just allows the dread and anxiety to build with each passing second. After watching it with me the other night, my wife remarked that she liked it, but it stressed her out. That's precisely the point.
The movie was written and directed by Jeff Nichols. I am not familiar with any of his other work (I think he's only made one other movie) but I'll be paying attention to his stuff from now on. Even prior to this movie, Michael Shannon was a star on the rise. He was nominated for a Supporting Actor Oscar a few years back and has had a stellar turn in the series Boardwalk Empire. And, like another actor I've raved about in this list, he'll soon be playing a villain in a super hero movie -- he's General Zod in the upcoming Superman reboot.
Anyway, I'm rambling here. This movie was just released on DVD (or whatever format you use) this week. While you may not have heard of it before now, it's definitely worth your time.
Interesting!!
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
ReplyDeleteI might consider it one of the greatest Oscar travesties of HISTORY that Michael Shannon wasn't nominated. Listen, I like George Clooney as much as the next America housewife, but his performance in "The Descendants" was nowhere near the brilliancy of this performance.
Not too crazy about the ending. Must we go all "Inception" on it? I mean, really.