'Take Shelter' review

Michael Shannon (Credit: Neil Moore/Adam Stone/Sony Classics)

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Devoted husband and father Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) enjoys a happy life in the Ohio heartland, but he’s also haunted by a string of increasingly disturbing nightmares. Convinced the dreams are a warning of something terrible to come, Curtis becomes obsessed with building a storm shelter in his backyard, much to the concern of his wife, Samantha (Jessica Chastain). The uncomfortable question no one wants to answer: Are Curtis’ visions the sign of a prophet or a madman?

The buzz: Following up on his little seen but highly acclaimed debut “Shotgun Stories,” writer-director Jeff Nichols reunites with lead actor Shannon for a film that earned praise in its debut at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and went on to land the Critics Week Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Fast rising star Chastain earned the female lead on the recommendation of her “Tree of Life” director Terrence Malick.

The verdict: Combining the bones of a high-concept psychological thriller with the heart and mind of an intimate family drama, “Take Shelter” is one of the most unsettling and original American indies of the year. The question of just what’s wrong with Curtis gets teased out through a deliberately paced two hour running time, and Shannon’s alternately gentle and intense performance ensures the answer is never obvious. His finely calibrated work finds a perfect match in Chastain’s warmth and strength as the other half of a relationship under extreme pressure. Keeping their supportive marriage intact feels all the more vital in light of their equally strong bonds with young deaf daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart), whose expensive medical and educational needs add an extra layer of stress to working class life. In many ways, “Take Shelter” is a small film, but the stakes couldn’t feel bigger thanks to the deeply affecting family at its center. Brief but vivid supporting turns from Shea Whigham, Katy Mixon, LisaGay Hamilton, Ray McKinnon and Kathy Baker bolster Nichols’ supremely confident filmmaking, as do the spare but spooky special effects by Hydraulx and insidious musical score by David Wingo. Everything adds up to a carefully detailed portrait that uses the fears and frustrations of the modern age to powerfully convey the courage of a family facing down an uncertain future.

Did you know? Shannon and Nichols are set to keep their collaboration going on a third feature: the Mississippi-set coming of age drama “Mud” starring Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon.

Follow Metromix's Geoff Berkshire on Twitter: @geoffberkshire

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