Like so many others, I saw this film for three reasons: 1) I've been a longtime Michael Shannon fan and am excited to see he's finally getting bigger roles for himself ("My Son, My Son..." being one of my favorite recent films), 2) The trailer made the film look astounding, and, of course, 3) The movie has been receiving great plaudits and reviews.
You can imagine my disappointment then when almost right away I realized what a mistake I had made in spending the $10.50 on a film that clearly wouldn't hold muster.
Almost immediately, I realized I was watching some kind of M. Night Shyamalan film at its worst (which is saying a lot). "Take Shelter" indulges in a protracted and achingly dull build tinctured by religious subtext that leads to what is inarguably a hackneyed ending with no substance. The entire film might as well have been one big "nightmare"; the ending was that cliché and obvious.
I've been particularly disappointed lately with similar films that appear to have something going for them in the trailer and concept -- "Source Code," "Inception" -- but on actual viewing, turn out to be TV show fare invoking the garden variety plots and uninteresting twists that anyone who is a reader or film fan has grown tired of being lived out over and over again in recent cinema.
I thought this movie would be calculus, but really it was just algebra... maybe basic arithmetic. And much like other contemporary films like "Donnie Darko" that have been pitched as new or even "cult classics," it's not a matter of "not getting it," it's a matter of simply having seen it too many times before.
These are not vibrant and innovative indie films; these are poorly made movies that because of budget constraints and inexperience of the writer/directors, simply look and seem bad enough to be "indie," when in fact they're no different than the crap spewed by larger studios.
I guarantee after this, we'll see the director trying his hand at a "Spider-Man" movie or "Twilight" or god-knows-what, and that'll be the last you'll see of his more "inventive" independent films...
Ultimately, "Take Shelter" is boring, pointless, and confusing/unrealistic in its character's motivations. The rigidly formulaic script seems like it was written with a chart, which wouldn't surprise me at all.
The acting is probably the only decent part of the movie, but -- again -- as the writer/director chose to marinate the project in soap opera melodrama, that too is not saying much.
If you're a fan of films like "Darko" and just can't get enough of your "Lost" or "24" box sets, maybe you'll dig this film. For everyone else, ignore the hype. This one's another sheep in wolf's clothing.
You can imagine my disappointment then when almost right away I realized what a mistake I had made in spending the $10.50 on a film that clearly wouldn't hold muster.
Almost immediately, I realized I was watching some kind of M. Night Shyamalan film at its worst (which is saying a lot). "Take Shelter" indulges in a protracted and achingly dull build tinctured by religious subtext that leads to what is inarguably a hackneyed ending with no substance. The entire film might as well have been one big "nightmare"; the ending was that cliché and obvious.
I've been particularly disappointed lately with similar films that appear to have something going for them in the trailer and concept -- "Source Code," "Inception" -- but on actual viewing, turn out to be TV show fare invoking the garden variety plots and uninteresting twists that anyone who is a reader or film fan has grown tired of being lived out over and over again in recent cinema.
I thought this movie would be calculus, but really it was just algebra... maybe basic arithmetic. And much like other contemporary films like "Donnie Darko" that have been pitched as new or even "cult classics," it's not a matter of "not getting it," it's a matter of simply having seen it too many times before.
These are not vibrant and innovative indie films; these are poorly made movies that because of budget constraints and inexperience of the writer/directors, simply look and seem bad enough to be "indie," when in fact they're no different than the crap spewed by larger studios.
I guarantee after this, we'll see the director trying his hand at a "Spider-Man" movie or "Twilight" or god-knows-what, and that'll be the last you'll see of his more "inventive" independent films...
Ultimately, "Take Shelter" is boring, pointless, and confusing/unrealistic in its character's motivations. The rigidly formulaic script seems like it was written with a chart, which wouldn't surprise me at all.
The acting is probably the only decent part of the movie, but -- again -- as the writer/director chose to marinate the project in soap opera melodrama, that too is not saying much.
If you're a fan of films like "Darko" and just can't get enough of your "Lost" or "24" box sets, maybe you'll dig this film. For everyone else, ignore the hype. This one's another sheep in wolf's clothing.