Set in present day Ohio, Shannon plays Curtis La Forche - husband to wife Samantha (Jessica Chastain - see Guildhall faves The Tree Of Life, The Help and the soon to be released Coriolanus) and father to deaf daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart). With money tight and the difficulties involved with Hannah's healthcare and special needs education, life seems pretty tough, yet Curtis and Samantha love each other very much and their family is a happy one. As the film progresses however, Curtis begins to have terrifying dreams of an approaching apocalyptic storm. Choosing to keep his visions to himself, he decides to channel his anxieties by building a storm shelter in the family's backyard. Obsessed by its need to be constructed, it results in both a strain on his marriage and tension within the community who do not empathise with Curtis' fear as to what the dreams truly signify. In desperation, convinced by the certainty of disaster, Curtis begs Samantha to believe him, ultimately testing the power of their bond against the highest possible stakes.
Boasting a tour-de-force performance from Michael Shannon and an equally stunning turn from Jessica Chastain, this is a truly outstanding film that, through its deliberate subtlety, provides an excellent cocktail of drama, terror and dread. Hailed by many critics as an American independent masterpiece (produced for a mere $5 million), the film also found deserved recognition at Cannes last year where it was awarded the 50th Critics Week Grand Prix.
This film did play the multiplexes when it opened back in November 2011 but only for a limited engagement. If you missed it on its first run, then make sure you don't this week.
Take a look at the trailer below:
Take Shelter (15) runs from Friday 20th January - Thursday 26th January 2012.
See website for show times.
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