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.
