I watched Take Shelter for the second time and was impressed again by the work of two young artists: actor Michael Shannon and director Jeff Nichols. Shannon here brings to mind a young Robert DeNiro, only with a slight Kentucky manner instead of New York. His acting is understated and at the same time very intense. In Take Shelter he plays a blue collar family man who begins to have terrifying visions that he believes warn him of a natural catastrophe. The hook is that his mother was institutionalized at a similar age with schizophrenia, and he wonders if he is on the same road. He keeps these troubles a secret from his wife & friends, which provides a platform for the power of his acting. I recently was impressed by him in The Iceman, a very dark and convincing portrayal of family man who is a contract killer.
Take Shelter was Jeff Nichols' second feature film, and is very accomplished for such a young director. His pacing of Shannon's descent into madness or premonition was done with a deft touch. He did not allow the brief & vivid visions to distract from the very human story. The final scene of the film has an elegance that is quite memorable.
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